FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Annie Stone, 215-409-6687
[email protected]
Merissa Blum, 215-409-6645
[email protected]
NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER TO TEMPORARILY CLOSE TO THE PUBLIC IN RESPONSE TO CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19)
Philadelphia, PA (March 13, 2020) – The National Constitution Center announced today it will temporarily close to the public starting Saturday, March 14. Public programs through the end of March will also be postponed.
President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen issued the following statement:
All of us at the National Constitution Center are committed to the health and safety of our visitors, staff, and volunteers.
In light of concerns about Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-2019), we have decided temporarily to close to the public beginning Saturday, March 14, and postpone public programs through the end of March. We will share any updates here on our website.
As an educational institution, we are closing to the public as a proactive step, to ensure a safe and healthy environment for our visitors throughout Philadelphia and across America. Joining with other institutions, we will do our part to minimize large public gatherings while maintaining the cleanest and safest environment possible. As a result, in-person visits to our museum and our public programs will be postponed until further notice.
At a time when students and citizens across the country are looking for virtual learning resources, the National Constitution Center will continue to serve as America’s leading platform for constitutional education. While our museum is closed, we will host a series of conversations with thought leaders streamed live on our website, and through YouTube and Facebook Live. Our weekly podcasts, videos, and blog posts can be found here on the Interactive Constitution.
With students, teachers, and learners of all ages planning for remote and online learning, many for the first time, the Center will offer an expanded range of free online, nonpartisan resources to ensure that civics education continues across America. Our Interactive Constitution: Classroom Edition offers extensive primary and secondary sources and a content-rich media library with videos, podcasts, and blog posts that students can access without any log-ins or passwords.
To bring students together at a time when they are learning remotely, the Center will offer two versions of our award-winning Classroom Exchanges program, both of which engage students in meaningful discussions around timely constitutional questions and cultivate habits of civil dialogue.
- Live class-to-class exchange: connecting students in different classrooms for discussion moderated by a judge or master teacher
- Live scholar-to-class exchange: connecting a single class to a constitutional expert to discuss issues like Freedom of Speech or Search and Seizure
These exchanges can be accessed by Zoom on a laptop or mobile device, no matter where instruction takes place, including by students who are learning from home. If you are interested in learning more, let us know.
We will continue to monitor the situation and will reopen the National Constitution Center to the public as soon as it is prudent to do so. In the meantime, please join us online, along with learners of all ages across America and around the world, to educate yourself about the U.S. Constitution.
###
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.
###
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.
