K-12 Professional Development
About Civic Education
The Institute of American Constitutional Thought and Leadership was founded by the Ohio legislature in 2023 to promote civic education. But what, exactly, do we mean by civic education?
The root of our word “civic” is the Latin civis, which means “citizen.” This helps us recognize civic education as an education that prepares students for citizenship. Such an education is not necessary for those who are governed by kings or emperors; such people are subjects, not citizens. By contrast, our democratic republic was designed to allow for, and even to rely on, the practice of self-government by citizens. Civic education empowers us to practice self-government deliberately and virtuously. It is sometimes referred to as liberal education, a name also derived from a Latin word, liber (“free”), because it is an education that is proper for every free human being, or even an education that makes a human being truly free. And because civic education developed in the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome, it is sometimes referred to classical education as well.
The Institute aims at a true civic education, understood in this light: an education that leads us out of the familiar realm of received opinions and narrow, unproductive partisan disputes and upward to a serious and collaborative consideration of first principles and ultimate arguments.
K-12 Professional Development
We see teachers at primary and secondary schools in northwest Ohio and beyond as vital partners in promoting civic education. Teachers are invited to join us at the Institute to study the principles and institutions of the American constitutional order and the core texts and great debates of American and western civilization, and to learn practical classroom strategies for sharing the fruits of their study with their own students. As the Institute continues to grow and develop, we will further expand our teacher resources and program offerings.
Our current programs include the following:
Fundamental Principles Initiative
Thirty teachers from Ohio, Michigan, and several other regional states have been awarded Institute fellowships through the U.S. Department of Education’s American History and Civics National Activities Grant to complete a three-year study of America’s Founding principles, the historical debates surrounding the meaning and application of these principles, and the relevance of these principles to the formation of citizens today. They study primary texts in a structured seminar format led by Institute faculty during fall and spring weekend colloquia and Institute faculty and experts from across the country during week-long Summer Institutes.
Annual Fall Civics Education Summits
The FPI cohort also will participate in one-day civics education summits each fall. These summits will be open to the public, and the first is scheduled for Saturday, November 6, 2026. The summit will feature panels of scholars, policy makers, and leaders in the field of K-12 education who will discuss the history of civic education in our country, the challenges and opportunities for civic education in various states today, and the prospects for civic renewal as we look forward from this year's 250th anniversary of our national independence.
Fall 2026 Teacher Workshop Series
We will soon be accepting applications to our fall teacher workshops from any interested teacher:
- Saturday, October 17: Lincoln’s Rhetoric and Statesmanship
- Saturday, November 14: The Ship of State: Herman Melville and the Declaration of Independence
- Saturday, December 5: The House Un-American Activities Committee and the Dawn of the Cold War
About the workshops:
- $100 stipends will be issued to participating teachers, with a $50 refundable deposit required upon acceptance.
- Each workshop will take place on the University of Toledo campus, start at 1:30pm, feature one session on content and one session on classroom applications, and culminate in a dinner for participating teachers.
- Workshop leaders are experienced K-12 teachers who hold graduate degrees in their fields of study.
For additional information, contact Michael Gonzalez, Ph.D. at michael.gonzalez6@utoledo.edu.