Programs at the Center for the Constitution
The Montpelier Weekend Seminars for teachers are fully funded for social studies educators thanks to the generosity of private donors. The Center has a limited number of scholarships available for teachers in Virginia, Maryland, D.C., North Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and California. Offered throughout the school year, programs begin on Friday evening, and adjourn on Sunday afternoon, maximizing the experience while minimizing time away from the classroom. Six courses are offered each year, each with a distinctive perspective on American constitutionalism. Teachers from other states are encouraged to apply to these programs and may be admitted if space is available.
The Center for the Constitution is the Virginia and Washington, DC sponsor of the We the People program. We the People is a comprehensive civic education program that provides professional development and classroom resources for upper elementary, middle, and high school educators and students. The Center for the Constitution offers in-service seminars ranging from one hour introductions to full-day workshops, as well as week-long summer institutes on the curriculum. The We the People curriculum provides advanced educational opportunities for students including the simulated congressional hearing, which tests students knowledge of the Constitution. Each year, the Center for the Constitution hosts regional and state Virginia We the People competitions and citywide Washington, DC We the People competitions.
The Center for the Constition works with the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to host NEH Landmark Seminars on "James Madison and Constitutional Citizenship" in the NEH Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshops for School Teachers. These six-day summer programs for K-12 educators nationwide take place at James Madison’s Montpelier in Orange, Virginia. Forty educators from across the country participate in each Workshop, at no cost to themselves or their schools.
In conjunction with a specific school system or combination of school districts, teachers can travel to Montpelier for one or more days of intense academic instruction focused on the Constitution and Bill of Rights. The Center will work closely with school district personnel to implement a program that meets the needs of the school district and fits within their school calendar. For more information on Montpelier Teacher Retreats, contact the Center for the Constitution at (540) 672-2728 ext. 200.
Perhaps no group in American society has a more direct responsibility to the Constitution than elected officials. While all elected officials take an oath to support the U.S. Constitution, state and locally elected officials must also defend their state's constitution. The Center for the Constitution programs help elected officials understand the tensions and synergies among and between their state and national Constitutions. These seminars also help elected officials to examine and reconnect to constitutional principles as they relate to their elected positions.
The Center for the Constitution programs for law enforcement help officers understand that they are not simply limited in power by the Constitution, but that their power is also enabled by it. Law enforcement officials are then not only protecting and serving their communities, but also protecting and serving the "People" and the rights guaranteed in the Constitution. These programs are recognized by the Department of Criminal Justice Services in Virginia as a certified criminal justice continuing education program for police officers in Virginia. A similar curriculum is available for law enforcement officials from other states, as we all for federal law enforcement officials and agencies, such as Department of Homeland Security.
The Claude Moore Lecture, which began in 2007, is an annual address to the public on the "State of the Constitution" in modern America and is intended to help focus public education, dialogue, and policy on the urgent need of sustaining and perpetuating the constitutional foundation of our nation. Click here to read transcripts of the 2007 lecture by Dr. John J. Patrick and the 2008 lecture by George Will. The 2009 lecture was delivered by Jon Meacham and the 2010 survey on the State of Constitution.
The Center for the Constitution at James Madison’s Montpelier offers evening courses in the fall and spring 
to all members of the general public. Past programs focused on the lives of James and Dolley Madison and their enormous contributions to the founding of our nation. Evening courses typically meet from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. in Lewis Hall, the Center’s teaching facilities on the grounds of Montpelier. Seminar content typically includes: the founding of our nation; who the founders were and what roles they played; the role of slavery in the founding; the tumultuous years following the Declaration of Independence; the Constitution and the ratification debates; Madison’s executive years as secretary of state and president; the Madisons’ retirement years at Montpelier; and the legacy they have left to us.
Programs in Partnership
Brookings Partnership
The Center for the Constitution at Montpelier and The Brookings Institution established a five-year partnership in 2009 to provide a series of interactive conferences for journalists. The Montpelier-Brookings Conference on Contemporary Constitutional Issues series, which meld Brookings research on legal and constitutional affairs with the Center's approach to constitutional theory, is intended to help members of the media carry out their unique responsbility of informing Americans about their government.
Other Partnership Opportunities
In addition to programs we develop, the Center also works with other non-profit and private organizations to provide professional development. For more information on programs in partnership, contact Andrew Washburn at awashburn@montpelier.org or (540) 672-2728 ext. 201.
