Continuing The Legacy Of Justice O'Connor
The Sandra Day O'Connor Institute is dedicated to continuing the work and legacy of the late Justice. Our new overview video showcases our ever-expanding body of work. Please take a few minutes to view and share with anyone interested in helping expand civic education, civic engagement, and civil discourse.
Explore Our New Educational Resources!
The Institute has worked diligently to deliver an improved experience for our website visitors, including:
- Reorganized content to make it easier to find information
- Cataloging our body of work in a user-friendly format.
- Explore the Newsroom for the latest from the Institute!
The new O’Connor Digital Library makes it easier than ever to explore Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s work before and after her historic appointment as the first female justice to the United States Supreme Court.
- Explore her Appellate, Supreme Court, and Retirement Opinions.
- Find articles, essays, cartoons, and books written about her amazing life.
- Find a timeline of her life and the awards she received throughout her career.
We are honored to celebrate the legacy of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor every day and hope these resources allow you to join us in remembering this remarkable woman.
Students – Earn Cash Awards With Civics this Winter Break!
Do you know creative middle and high school students? Do they love to write, create songs, or make videos? The 5th Annual Civics Challenge is now open for 6th-12th grade students. This competition invites students to create a short video write an essay or an original song to win a $500 cash award by demonstrating their civics knowledge!
The Boston Tea Party: A Moment Steeped In History
Did you know the Boston Tea Party occurred in a cold December? On the evening of December 16, 1773, thousands of Bostonians gathered at the Old South Meeting House, the largest public building in the city. By the night's end, bold colonists had jettisoned 342 chests of tea littering the harbor waters to protest taxation without representation. In this riveting article, learn more about this historic event, what led to it, and how early colonists played a role in the American Revolution.
Learn more about this historic effort in our latest article on Civics for Life now.
Did You Miss Our Previous Virtual Public Square? Check Out The Highlight Video.
Earlier this fall, we welcomed participants from 36 states to our online Public Square discussion on the decreased level of civics education being taught today. The O’Connor Institute examined this trend, why it happened, and how efforts are being made to reverse it in our recent research brief “When and why did America stop teaching civics?” on our website.
We invite you to watch this highlight video. If you’d like to see the full conversation, check out our Civics for Life YouTube Channel.
Ambassadors: Connecting Young Leaders
It isn’t too late to get involved in the O’Connor Institute Ambassadors Civics & Debate Club! High school students in 9th-12th grade are invited to this virtual club where they can engage with students across the country to discuss issues and speak with leaders at every level of government. Seniors may also be eligible to receive a graduation cord and compete for a $5,000 scholarship.
Tis the Season of Year-End Giving
In this season of giving, we are grateful to the many donors and supporters of the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy. These funds help the Institute provide multigenerational civic education, civic engagement, civil discourse programming, research, events, and more.
Whether to make a one-time donation, become a Patrons Circle member or help to conserve the historic O’Connor House, all contributions are appreciated and tax deductible. Learn more about the ways you can support the Institute and our efforts to continue the legacy of Justice O’Connor through our new donation page.
Civics 101: The Need For Government
From our nation's earliest days, a form of government and leadership has played an essential role in establishing order and laws to protect citizens. This essential and fundamental function continues today from the federal to local level. But what role do citizens play in our governmental structure?
We invite you to test your knowledge with our December Civics 101 micro-lesson of the month - in 10 minutes or less!
Dinner With Oppenheimer & Truman
On November 16, 2024, a sold-out, annual History Dinner crowd enjoyed an evening of unique insights into two powerful men at Dinner with Oppenheimer & Truman. Guest moderator Dr. Kurt Graham, Truman Presidential Library & Museum director from 2009 to 2024, and featured speaker Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Kai Bird engaged in an illuminating fireside chat. The inspiring ballroom of The Phoenician was surrounded by powerful images from the lives of J. Robert Oppenheimer and President Harry S. Truman.
The Institute is pleased to share photos of the evening, and we thank our many guests for their support. We invite you to explore images from the evening in the link.
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