Center for the Constitution at James Madison's Montpelier Launches Free Online Course on the Constitution

New Program Debuts in Time for Constitution Day

(ORANGE,VA) The Center for the Constitution at James Madison's Montpelier today launched "Introduction to the Constitution," a free online course for educators and the public. The new course premiers three days before Constitution Day, which commemorates the September 17, 1787, signing of the U.S. Constitution. Registration for "Introduction to the Constitution" is available at center.montpelier.org.

"Last year, the Center for the Constitution's State of the Constitution: What Americans Know survey revealed that only 31 percent of respondents feel they have a strong understanding of the Constitution," said Kelly Carmichael Booz, director of civic education for the Center for the Constitution at James Madison's Montpelier. "We are offering this free 'Introduction to the Constitution' course to educators and the general public so that anyone, anywhere can choose to take advantage of the Center's knowledge base and learn more about the Constitution."

The Center for the Constitution collaborated with leading constitutional scholars to design "Introduction to the Constitution." The course mirrors the multi-day introductory course that teachers, legislators, diplomats, and the general public receive when they attend Center seminars.

This introductory course leads participants through seven modules that focus on the Constitution's major components. Each module presents a robust experience of information on the historical and theoretical background on the Constitution, resources, multimedia content, and thought-provoking constitutional questions about the topic.  After a participant submits answers to a question, he or she can read scholars' responses and advance to the next module. The seven modules include:

• "Background on the Constitution"
• "Congress and the Legislative Branch"
• "The President and Executive Branch"
• "The Supreme Court and Judicial Branch"
• "The States" (which focuses on the relationship of the states with the federal government)
• "Ratification and Amendment"
• "The People" (which focuses on rights).

Teachers who use the online course will be able to receive Continuing Education Units (CEUs) from James Madison University for a small
fee.

The "Introduction to the Constitution" launch is one of several Montpelier Constitution Month events to commemorate the signing of the United States Constitution. Throughout September guests will enjoy a Constitution Day fireworks display on the mansion front lawn on September 17, the Annual Claude Moore Lecture on September 20, the second Constitution Run on September 25, and visits with "James" and "Dolley" Madison on the weekends. On September 25, Montpelier will also hold a dedication ceremony in the mansion South Yard to honor the enslaved individuals who lived and worked on the plantation. Montpelier recently built wooden frames that outline the areas where a slave residence, two smokehouses, and a kitchen stood during the Madisons' time. A construction crew will build two additional slave residence outlines in the late fall. A full Constitution Month schedule is available at www.montpelier.org.

James Madison's Montpelier

Montpelier is the lifelong home of James Madison, Father of the Constitution, architect of the Bill of Rights, and president of the United States. Now that the home's $25 million architectural restoration is complete, visitors can see the progress of rediscovering James and Dolley Madison through the "Presidential Detective Story" with daily guided tours. They can also leisurely stroll the garden and forest; and take in the galleries, hands-on activities, and many other attractions on the estate's 2,650 acres. Nestled in the rolling foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Montpelier is located in the heart of Virginia's wine country on Route 20, four miles south of Orange, Va., and 25 miles north of Charlottesville, Va.

Montpelier is administered by The Montpelier Foundation, which seeks to inspire continuing public engagement with American constitutional self-government by bringing to life the home and contributions of James and Dolley Madison. Montpelier is a National Trust Historic Site. To learn more, visit www.montpelier.org.