Previous Opportunities

The Massachusetts Center for Civic Education and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate to host Two Speaking Programs for Educators this August 1st and 2nd.

MACCE and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate are proud to present 2 profound speaking programs for educators. Both speaking engagements will be held at the Kennedy Institute in Boston within the Senate Chamber. Please see the flyer to the right for more information.

BOTH EVENTS ARE FREE AND HAVE FREE PARKING AT THE EMK INSTITUTE!

Larry Gerston, a nationally recognized public policy expert, will speak on Monday, August 1, 2022 at the Kennedy Institute from 12:30 to 2:30 pm. Register for this event at https://bit.ly/3zWDwsn

Frank Baker, a national and international expert on media literacy, will speak on Tuesday, August 2, 2022 at the Kennedy Institute from 12:30 to 2:30 pm. Register for this event at https://bit.ly/3tUGqtS

Summer Institute for Cohort 3 PCRP!

The Project Citizen Research Program, a research grant from the U.S. Department of Education, has given the Center for Civic Education and its partners the opportunity to offer free professional development for middle and high school teachers new to the Project Citizen curriculum!

The Center for Civic Education, in partnership with Georgetown University, will be conducting a summer institute at the University of Massachusetts – Boston from July 31 to August 5, 2022 for teachers of northeast United States.

Some of the benefits of joining the PCRP:

  • Free summer professional development
  • Transportation/housing/food covered at UMASS
  • A free set of books for use with your students
  • Usable classroom resource to use
  • Guidance of a Project Citizen Mentor
  • A modest stipend

Cohort 3 (2022-2023) is the final cohort of teachers in this program.  Teacher applications are due on May 31, 2022 with official notification by June 7, 2022

Any teacher who is interested in applying for this fantastic program, please reach out to Ellen Barber-Morse by email at ellen.barber.morse@gmail.com  or Roger Desrosiers by email at roger.desrosiers@masscivics.org 

You may also contact the Director of Cohort 3, Dr. Marcie Taylor-Thoma, for more specific questions regarding the PCRP and the Summer Institute at marciethoma@gmail.com

For more information on this year’s PCRP Cohort 3, click on one of the links below:


MACCE presented WEBINAR for the Massachusetts Civic Learning Coalition (MCLC)

Topic: Planning Civics K-12 – with We the People

Civics serves as the backbone of the MA History and Social Science Curriculum Framework. It spans all the grades so that students will develop an understanding of civics and the motivation to engage in civic life at the earliest ages and support that learning throughout the full extent of each students’ academic career. Making this happen poses some challenges. What is a developmentally appropriate way to engage students in the early grades? How can we build an effective progression of content and skills as students advance through the grades? How can we best prepare students to succeed with the civics projects expected at grade 8 and high school? District administrators will join Roger Desrosiers, President of the Massachusetts Center for Civic Education, to share models developed by We the People and Project Citizen to address these challenges. 

Audience: Teachers and Administrators
Date and Time: Wednesday, February 16, 2022 from 4pm-5pm (Zoom)

Watch the Recorded Webinar…

National Constitution Day is Friday, September 17th!

September 17 is recognized in the United States as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. The purpose of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day is to commemorate the creation and signing of the supreme law of the land and to honor and celebrate the privileges and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship for both native-born and naturalized citizens. Federal law requires that all schools receiving federal funds hold an educational program for their students on September 17 of each year.

The Center for Civic Education has provided a series of lesson plans for all grades titled “9/11 and Civil Liberties.” These lessons challenge students to examine the government’s response to the terrorist attacks through the lens of protection and civil liberties. Students consider the balance between security and liberty in the United States. Download these free lessons at civic.org using the link below.


The Center for the Study of the American Constitution (CSAC) 2021 Fall Conferences

The Center for the Study of the American Constitution (CSAC) is proud to announce their 2021 fall conference schedule. This year, like last year, our three “Saturday Seminars” will be via the zoom platform. These fall sessions are all focused on the role of religion in early American history. The first Saturday Seminar (October 16th) will feature Jeffry Morrison of Christopher Newport UniversityHis sessions will be devoted to the Revolutionary War Period. The second (November 6th), will feature the CSAC staff and an exploration of the religious issues extant in the Ratification Debates. The third session (November 20th), Jonathan Den Hartog of Samford University will lead sessions focusing on how religion intersected with the culture and politics of the new republic. Each Saturday Seminar will meet from 10:00 am to 12:00pm.  Participants at each event will have opportunities to directly engage with professors as well as discuss primary source materials.  

The Role of Religion in the Revolutionary War (16 October 2021) 

Click Here to Register 

Professor Jeffry Morrison will lead two sessions. The first will be a biographical session on religion and revolutionary characters. The second will be a conceptual exploration of the political theology of the American Revolution. There will be two document discussion sessions.  

Religious Issues During the Ratification Debates (6 November 2021) 

Click Here to Register 

Join us for two sessions as we explore how the Constitution was seen as either an instrument of national salvation or damnation, the debates over the religious test clause, and the role of clergy and the Quakers in the ratification debates. There will be two document discussion sessions. 

The Role of Religion in the Early Republic (20 November 2021) 

Click Here to Register 

Professor Jonatan Den Hartog will lead two sessions. The first session will be an exploration of the intersection of religion, the Federalists, and the new government. The second will be focused on Jefferson and religious liberty in the new nation. There will be two document discussion sessions. 

Click Here to Register for all Three Saturday Seminars