Congratulations Civics Challenge Winners!

This national competition challenges middle and high school students to bring their best; they exceed expectations every year. The creativity and understanding of civics education is inspiring. We thank all who participated and hope to see many of you again for future Civics Challenges!

For History Buffs

These articles provide access to valuable resources, including articles, videos, and courses that deepen historical knowledge and civic engagement.

John Jay Fetzer Memorial Scholarship

The John Jay Fetzer Memorial Scholarship Fund benefits high school seniors who demonstrate exceptional academic achievement, leadership, civil debate skills and civics knowledge. Established in memory of our late Institute colleague, Jay was passionate about equal justice and equal opportunity for all. His compassion for others was borne out by the volunteer work he did at…

Rediscovering Political Leadership, with John A. Burtka IV

The story is the same across much of the globe: citizens aren’t currently wild about their leaders. As John A. Burtka IV writes in the introduction to Gateway to Statesmanship, the “examples of elite failures are so ubiquitous that there is no reason to chronicle them all here.” Better, Burtka argues, to turn to history to “rediscover…

Civics for Life Quarterly, Volume 2 | Issue 2

The research is clear: study after study shows that we Americans don’t know civics. This is especially the case for younger Americans, who data reveal to be less informed about civics than their older counterparts. Obviously there is a need for more and better civic education in schools, a proposition that consistently receives strong bipartisan…

Camp O’Connor USA

Camp O’Connor USA is a free, merit-based summer program for middle school students with a mission to educate, encourage and inspire the next generation of leaders. Participants in our civics day camp gain a deeper, experiential understanding of our nation’s democracy, branches of government, and the duties and responsibilities of citizenship.

The Art of Diplomacy, with Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat

“A magisterial tome on the international negotiations that shaped modern American history . . . Grand in scope and grounded in decades of experience, The Art of Diplomacy is a compelling work of political history aimed at the diplomatic negotiators of tomorrow.” – Foreword Reviews Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat has served in six U.S. administrations, Democrat and…

November 2024 General Election: How Are Secretaries of State Preparing Nationwide?

50 states are each in charge of their elections. Join the O’Connor Institute and National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) to learn how our nation’s elections officers are preparing for the November 5th election. How are the elected officials in charge of American elections preparing for November?

Civics 101: Micro-Lessons for Multigenerational Learners

Whether you never had civics in school or simply want to brush up, Civics 101 is here for you! While we are all encouraged by the increased call for K-12 civics education across the nation, we also do not want to neglect those adults, now out of school, who themselves want to learn more about…

Talking Revolution, with Nathan Perl-Rosenthal

“The Age of Revolutions is a tremendous achievement that will shape scholarly and public debate for decades to come.“– Wall Street Journal There is broad scholarly agreement that our current political world owes much to what Thomas Paine was the first to call the “age of revolutions”—that is, the several late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century decades during…