Included in the “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005” (1) is the creation of Constitution Day, celebrated on the anniversary of the signing of the US Constitution, September 17, 1787. This new section of federal code requires each federal agency to provide to every new employee educational materials on the Constitution and to every employee on September 17th of each year. Further, it requires federally funded schools to “..hold an educational program on the United States Constitution on September 17..” This commendable act is not as well-known as it should be. One Coloradan has taken the challenge.
Andrew McKean is the Director of Liberty Lives Forever, an organization dedicated to supporting Constitution Day, especially in the schools. Liberty Lives Forever encourages lawyers to adopt a school and to work with that school to teach on Constitution Day. One program document is a pocket Constitution and Declaration of Independence that includes a section of questions and answers to help anchor the lesson in students’ minds. A side benefit of the Q/A is when students take the booklets home and test their parents’ knowledge of the Constitution. Some examples:
What are the five rights in the First Amendment of the US Constitution?
What are the five rights in the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution?
Where do all bills to raise revenue for the US Government have to start for that bill to become a law?
Anyone, not just lawyers, who is willing to teach about the US Constitution can participate by coordinating with school principals to hold a Constitution program at the school on or near September 17th.
For more information, visit www.libertylivesforever.org or contact andy@libertylivesforever.org, 303-989-4833.
(1) Public Law 108-477 Sec. 111 Division J – SEC. 111 (a) & (b)
