About Constitution Day
On May 24, 2005, the U.S. Department of Education released a Notice of Implementation requiring all educational institutions receiving federal funding to hold an educational program on the U.S. Constitution every September 17. This date commemorates the original signing of the Constitution on September 17, 1787.
The initiative was spearheaded by Senator Robert C. Byrd, a West Virginia Democrat long regarded as the unofficial Constitutional scholar of Congress. Believing that American students at the primary, secondary, and post-secondary levels lacked a deep understanding of the nation's founding document, Senator Byrd offered an amendment in December 2004 that successfully passed both the House and the Senate to increase Constitutional education nationwide.
Resources
Explore the resources below to deepen your awareness and appreciation of Constitution Day and the U.S. Constitution: