FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Eliana Gayle-Schneider, 917-828-4183
[email protected]
Philadelphia, PA (November 1, 2022) – The National Constitution Center and Khan Academy announced today a new partnership offering a nonpartisan and apolitical solution to America’s civics crisis. The two trusted educational organizations will offer a free, semester-long online Constitution 101 course, providing high school students the opportunity to learn about the core principles of the Constitution.
This new initiative, which will begin as a pilot program in 2024, is supported by a special $9 million gift from the Yass Foundation for Education. “We are proud to have an existing, strong relationship with both Khan Academy and the National Constitution Center, leaders in their respective fields. We believe that successfully educating students in the founding principles of our country is essential for our nation. This joint effort, which will produce an unparalleled, objective education on the Constitution, can help reverse the polarization of our country and transform civic education in America for generations to come,” said Janine Yass of the Yass Foundation for Education.
Each unit will include a short introductory video with National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen or Khan Academy founder Sal Khan interviewing ideologically diverse individuals—conservative, libertarian, and progressive—to introduce the unit topic and cover historical or contemporary issues. These conversational interviews—filmed in Khan Academy’s highly successful, approachable style—will include top constitutional scholars, judges, notable celebrities and public figures, recent immigrants, and citizens of all backgrounds. This course will be mapped with state curriculum standards across the country to ensure maximum alignment and adoption by schools and districts across the country.
“All of us at the National Constitution Center are thrilled to be collaborating with Khan Academy to create a Constitution 101 course for high school students across America,” said Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center. “Together, the NCC and Khan Academy will teach the fundamental principles of the Constitution and civil dialogue, offering a meaningful, nonpartisan solution to our national civics crisis.”
“It’s crucial that students understand the Constitution in order to become engaged citizens,” said Sal Khan, founder and CEO of Khan Academy. “We’re grateful to be working with the National Constitution Center to offer a new course that we think will help foster active civic life at an important moment in our history.”
The 15-unit course, which uniquely brings together the NCC’s full teacher curriculum and Khan Academy’s expertise in student mastery, will be modeled on the NCC’s proven framework for rigorous constitutional education based on primary source documents, and housed on Khan Academy’s best-in-class platform that reaches millions of learners around the world. It will be supported by the NCC’s Interactive Constitution and will draw from the NCC’s new online Constitution 101 curriculum and the Founders’ Library of 170+ primary source texts that inspired the founders, as well as other core documents of freedom throughout American history and landmark Supreme Court cases. Khan Academy will co-develop and host the course which will include instructional resources and student facing exercises, to accompany each unit, allowing students to apply their knowledge and demonstrate their mastery of concepts.
Through the course, participants will learn:
- The historical foundations of the U.S. Constitution through primary source documents and court cases;
- How influential classical and enlightenment philosophers shaped our Founding documents and our understanding of freedom and rights today;
- The arguments presented on all sides of landmark Supreme Court cases;
- How to analyze arguments on all sides of today’s most pressing constitutional questions; and
- How to foster understanding and respect for those who have differing opinions.
The National Constitution Center and Khan Academy first partnered in 2017 on a series of videos on the Constitution.
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About Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. Our platforms include more than 70,000 practice problems, videos and articles that cover a range of preK-12 subjects. Khan Academy’s mastery-based learning system allows students to learn key concepts at a pace that’s right for them before moving on to more challenging content. Our award-winning free app for young children ages two to eight is Khan Academy Kids. We partner with more than 280 school districts across the country that serve students who are historically under-resourced. Districts use Khan Academy Districts and MAP Accelerator to help teachers differentiate instruction. Worldwide, more than 140 million registered learners have used Khan Academy in 190 countries and 51 languages. For more information, please see research findings about Khan Academy and our press center.
About the Yass Foundation for Education
The Yass Foundation for Education is dedicated to the four core principles of Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding and Permissionless education, which are the foundation for the prestigious Yass Prize and STOP Awards Initiative. For more information, go to YassPrize.org.
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About the National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia brings together people of all ages and perspectives, across America and around the world, to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. A private, nonprofit organization, the Center serves as America’s leading platform for constitutional education and debate, fulfilling its congressional charter “to disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution on a nonpartisan basis.” As the Museum of We the People, the Center brings the Constitution to life for visitors of all ages through interactive programs and exhibits. As America’s Town Hall, the Center brings the leading conservative and liberal thought leaders together to debate the Constitution on all media platforms. As a Headquarters for Civic Education, the Center delivers the best educational programs and online resources that inspire citizens and engage all Americans in learning about the U.S. Constitution. For more information, call 215-409-6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org.
