Studying the Constitution is essential — especially now, as constitutional rights are increasingly under attack.
Each September, schools across the country celebrate Constitution Day — students create posters praising the document, watch patriotic videos, or recite the Preamble — rather than engage in critical inquiry. These rituals present the Constitution as a sacred text, not a document created and amended through struggle.
Students rarely learn who the Constitution was written for — and who was excluded. They are taught to revere the document as the cornerstone of democracy, not to question its origins or its limits.
Today, powerful figures wield the Constitution — and undermine it — in ways that intensify profound harms across the country. It is essential that students know their rights: not just to pass a test, but to protect themselves. They should learn that throughout U.S. history, people have fought to expand the rights the Constitution promises, and to demand the rights it omits. Constitution Day should not be a celebration of myth, but an invitation to think critically.
The schools that receive federal funding are mandated to teach about the Constitution on Constitution Day (September 17). So, let’s do that. Let’s engage young people in an active study of the Constitution.
Join our campaign to Teach Truth on Constitution Day. Learn more about why we launched the campaign and our framework, Ten Ways to Rethink the Constitution.
Classroom Actions
We encourage teachers to use Constitution Day to do one or more of the activities outlined here.
Sign up to participate — let’s make our commitment to teaching truthfully visible and contagious. (Not a teacher? We suggest ways you can support the campaign and defend the freedom to learn.)
HRE USA 