Participating effectively in civic life, staying informed and understanding government processes, and exercising the rights and obligations of citizenship.
Celebrated on September 17, Constitution Day and Citizenship Day commemorates the 1787 signing of the US Constitution and honors all citizens, including naturalized ones. It promotes civic education regarding the document’s history and rights, while highlighting the responsibilities of American citizenship and encouraging community engagement.
History does not live only in books, archives, or official commemorations. It lives in public spaces where people encounter stories, places, memory, and meaning together.
The National Mall is the iconic space that tells the story of our nation’s founding—but more than that, it is America’s Civic Stage, the backdrop for pivotal moments in our nation where we come together to share in our profound democratic ideals.
In July 2026, more than 90 Student Senators representing all 50 states did something no group of students had done before: they wrote the nation’s first student-led artificial intelligence (AI) policy for K–12 schools.
As the United States heads into the 2026 midterm elections, Facing History’s Democracy in Action professional learning series helps educators navigate teaching democracy, voting, and the power of youth civic engagement.
“Failure” and “hardship” probably aren’t the first words that come to mind in describing the legacy of the first United States president, George Washington. While Washington is generally viewed through a lens of strength in leading the colonies through the American Revolution 250 years ago, a new film aims to deepen the nation’s understanding of his evolution as a young work in progress.
Dr. Sara: Disease Detective is a visual novel mobile game for both iOS and Android in which players step into the role of the world’s leading epidemiologist. Tasked with investigating and solving perplexing disease outbreaks in global hotspots, players experience a character-driven simulation of Epidemic Intelligence Service detective work.
“The aged, as well as the young, daily march out under the banners of liberty, and discover a determined resolution to maintain her cause even until death.”
—The Pennsylvania Mercury, June 9, 1775
As our nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment to reflect on our shared story and collective future.
When American-born Wong Kim Ark returns home to San Francisco after a visit to China, he’s stopped and told he cannot enter: he isn’t American. What happens next would forever change the national conversation on who is and isn’t American.