On Saturday, Oct. 5, NewseumED will hold its final fall open house at its Pennsylvania Avenue location in D.C. Find out what’s ahead for NewseumED and the Freedom Forum Institute. Learn about its free digital classes and content, attend special programs, explore exhibits, take tours and enjoy fun activities with your peers. Admission is free for educators and school and community librarians/media specialists. Register in advance for a chance to win door prizes.

Did you know that you don’t need to visit the Newseum in person to take a NewseumED class? Its offering of 11 virtual classes will continue after the museum building closes on Dec. 31. So whether you’re across the world or right next door, NewseumED teachers are ready to lead live, virtual classes with your students on media literacy and First Amendment topics. All classes are free. Find the list of classes and booking information here.

NewseumED is looking for new members to join its Student Advisory Team for the 2019-2020 school year. Members provide feedback on and contribute to the development of new curriculum, educational programs, and the NewseumED website. It’s a great opportunity for middle and high school students to share their opinions and be part of a team that makes a difference! Applications are due by Sept. 13. Go here for more information and an application.

Celebrate the Constitution’s birthday at the National Constitution Center on Sept. 17! Events include a flag ceremony and Preamble Challenge; student town hall, where visitors can meet George Washington and Abraham Lincoln; and a birthday celebration with cake, served by Washington and Lincoln. Admission is free. Go here to learn more.

The National Constitution Center has released its schedule for Saturday Seminars in 2019-2020. The seminars, which provide four reportable professional development hours, enhance participants’ instructional strategies for teaching the Constitution in their classroom through tours, classroom application sessions, and practicing civil dialogue techniques. There is no cost to attend, but educators will have to successfully register for the program. Registration for each seminar opens twos months before the date. The topics include: Getting Ready for Constitution Day, Voting Rights, Civil War and Reconstruction, the Presidency, the Second Amendment and Federalism. Go here to learn more.

Beginning in September 2019, teachers and students from across the country can participate in the Constitutional Ambassadors program, which extends from the classroom to the National Constitutional Center with a daylong educational experience, and then back to the classroom, where students can connect with other classrooms across America for crucial conversations on current constitutional issues. The experience includes classroom-ready resources from the Interactive Constitution: Classroom Edition to prepare for the visit; an immersive visit filled with tours, workshop focused on key constitutional concepts, and Town Halls where students have the opportunity to meet constitutional experts; and support after the visit to promote civil dialogue in the classroom. Sign up here to learn more.

The National Archives invites D.C. metro area educators of all levels to its 2019 Educators Open House on Thursday, Sept. 12. The open house will feature a special public program held in conjunction with the exhibition “Rightfully Hers,” celebrating the centennial of the 19th Amendment. National Archives educators will be on hand to answer questions and share classroom resources. Go here to register and find the schedule.

Welcome back to the classroom! The 2019-20 school year promises to be a busy and exciting one with a presidential race, the centennial of the 19th Amendment, the Census, and more. We’ve pulled together collections of the best of the resources available on the Civics Renewal Network website to make it easy for teachers to find useful classroom materials for all grade levels.

Get your school year off to a great start with new professional development webinars from the National Archives. On YouTube, find two recorded webinars: Petitions, Protest and Persuasion: Women’s Voices in the Records of the National Archives and Teaching with the Records of Congress. Live webinars feature the holdings of the National Archives along with resources for bringing these primary sources into your classroom. All webinars are free, but advance registration is required. Webinars include An Introduction to DocsTeach; Teaching the Constitution; Teaching the Bill of Rights; and a Native American Professional Development Series. Go here for more details and to sign up.

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History has announced the National History Teacher of the Year Award winners in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Department of Defense schools, and U.S. territories.