The Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law celebrated its eleventh annual Constitution Day Project this September. Each year, volunteers teach challenging constitutional questions in Colorado high schools to commemorate the 1787 signing of the U.S. Constitution.听
This year鈥檚 Constitution Day curriculum covered the right to privacy聽and offered students the opportunity to discuss same-sex and interracial marriage, the right to contraception, and the recent Dobbs decision. 鈥淲e hope high school students will think about how the Constitution impacts their lives, often in ways they never realized. This year鈥檚 topic is particularly poignant not just for youth but for everyone 鈥� how and why should our private lives be subjected to government intervention?鈥� commented the Project鈥檚 manager and co-director of Colorado Law's Clinical Programs, Professor .听
This year over thirty student and attorney volunteers signed up to teach. Volunteers worked with more than 400 students in schools across the Front Range. Teachers were excited for students to discuss privacy issues with members of the legal community.
One teacher shared that, after Constitution Day, one of her students and the student鈥檚 father 鈥渉ad a conversation about the topic and, [despite coming] from very different perspectives,鈥� they were able to 鈥渉ave a conversation that was based in facts鈥� as a result of the lesson.听
Students 鈥渞eally enjoyed the topic and left feeling like they better understood the issue and the stakes of what could happen in the future,鈥� reported another teacher. Volunteers were impressed by how much students already knew about the Constitution聽and by their thoughtful questions.
The Center has expressed gratitude to this year's volunteers, whose 鈥渄edication to bringing the Constitution alive in high school classrooms allows us to have these hard conversations,鈥� added Professor Robinson.听
The Byron R. White Center's director,聽Professor remarked, 鈥淭his kind of civic education and engagement is critical to our democracy.鈥�
If you are interested in getting involved with next year鈥檚 Constitution Day Project, please fill out this form: .