Is Your District Ready for Constitution Day Requirements?
September 15, 2025
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Earlier this month, 萝莉网flagged a revamped requirement that impacts any educational institution receiving federal funds as it relates to Constitution Day, observed on September 17.
If your district receives federal funds, you are required to provide an educational program on the US Constitution for your students on or around September 17. USED issued a letter on this, which we are sharing below.
Need resources to use in your district and/or to share with educators in your schools? is a new resource offering educational institutions a one-stop shop for freely-accessible, high-quality, non-partisan, age-appropriate, Constitution-specific lessons. This flyer details how a 2005 law passed by Congress created Constitution Day and specifies that all students in educational institutions that receive federal funding are to be given a lesson about the U.S. Constitution on Constitution Day. The resources at focus on K-12 institutions and encourage school districts to take a district-wide approach to Constitution Day.
Letter from USED, September 15, 2025:
Dear Colleague,
This letter serves as a reminder to all educational institutions receiving Federal funding about the requirements related to Constitution Day and Citizenship Day (Constitution Day), observed on September 17 of each year.
Background:
In accordance with Federal law, specifically Section 111 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005 (Public Law 108-447), all educational institutions receiving Federal funding for a fiscal year are required to provide an educational program on the United States Constitution for their students on or around September 17 annually. If September 17 falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, the educational institution may conduct an educational program during the preceding or following week, if doing so is likely to increase student participation compared to conducting the programming on September 17.
Program requirements:
The statutory language does not specifically define the nature or scope of the 鈥渆ducational program,鈥� leaving institutions with considerable flexibility on how they choose to design an appropriate program to observe the day. The Department of Education (the Department) anticipates many institutions will choose to take State and local considerations into account.
Suggested activities:
While the Department does not mandate any specific type of program, we are nevertheless pleased to share potential program ideas for your consideration as you plan your institution鈥檚 Constitution Day observance:
- Host a guest speaker: Invite a legal expert, historian, teacher, or public or private official to address the school or campus community on a relevant aspect of the Constitution.
- Organize a panel discussion: Engage faculty, students, and community members in a discussion about a specific constitutional principle or a current event related to the Constitution.
- Conduct a public reading of the Constitution: Encourage students, teachers, and staff as well as the families of students or members of the community to participate in a communal reading of the document.
- Host a mock Constitutional Convention: Students and teachers can take on the roles of historical figures to represent different viewpoints on contemporary or historical issues related to the Constitution and Constitutional Convention.
- Facilitate interactive workshops or activities: Utilize resources like history games or online exhibits curated by the National Constitution Center and the National Archives. Alternatively, create your own activities focusing on the Bill of Rights or other constitutional concepts.
- Examine your State or local history and its connection to Constitutional issues: Engage students, teachers, parents, local historians, and local residents to host discussions relating to State and local connections to key historical issues involving the Constitution and how those issues helped shape current and future life in your State or local community.
Other resources:
Valuable resources are available to assist in planning and implementing your Constitution Day programs on a number of websites such as the following:
- : Offers a section dedicated to Constitution Day and Citizenship Day with links to publicly accessible educational materials from the three branches of government.
- : Provides educational resources, exhibits, and lesson plans related to the Constitution.
- and the : Contains virtual copies of historical documents and resources pertaining to the Constitution.
- : Participate in Constitution Day by offering educational resources and programs in their communities.
Constitution Day presents an annual opportunity to promote civic awareness and understanding about the Constitution among your students and the broader school or campus community. It is especially important in this year leading up to the commemoration of America鈥檚 250th anniversary celebration next year, which will be a unique time to celebrate the roots of our constitutional republic and to teach students about America鈥檚 founding principles. Thank you for your commitment to fostering a deeper appreciation for our country鈥檚 foundational document and its enduring principles that make America the greatest Nation in the world.
Sincerely,
Nicholas Kent
Under Secretary of Education
