Educating Citizens, Sustaining Democracy Series

These classes explore the historical and contemporary role of American education in shaping civic life and democratic participation. Participants will examine how schools have contributed to the development of civic values, national identity, and public discourse while also becoming a focal point for debates surrounding curriculum, school governance, educational choice, academic freedom, and the role of religion in education. The series considers multiple perspectives on issues including public and private education models, book access and curriculum disputes, and differing approaches to evidence, belief, and public dialogue in modern American society. The series includes the following classes: Building Citizens: Public Education and the American Idea; Privatizing Education: From Public Good to Private Choice; Censorship: Books, Ideas, and Politics; and Evidence-Based Inquiry, Revealed Truth, and the Battle for Reality.