Celebrating the Constitution, civic education, and Founding Forward
On September 17, the Founding Forward Board, Union League leaders, generous donors, program partners, students, friends, and supporters gathered for our annual Constitution Day celebration. Commemorating the anniversary of the document’s signing and completion, Constitution Day highlights the importance of civic education, making it an especially important day for Founding Forward.
“Founding Forward is truly a movement. A movement of patriots and champions of civic education—visionary donors, dedicated leaders, scholars, teachers, and students who believe that our nation can only be strong if its citizens remain educated and virtuous.” – James P. Dunigan, Chair, speaking at Constitution Day
We have accomplished so much that it is hard to believe this is only the second Constitution Day since Founding Forward was formed through the merger of The Union League Legacy Foundation and Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge. The bold plans we have ahead of us pay testimony to our role as a leader in civic education.
“At Founding Forward, we don’t teach civics to raise test scores; we teach civics to raise citizens. And we do this with one student, one classroom, and one teacher at a time,” said James P. Dunigan, Founding Forward Chair. Read Mr. Dunigan’s full remarks here.
Roll film! New videos released
During this year’s Annual Celebration event, we were pleased to premiere one of our new Founding Forward videos, highlighting our mission, our work, and our impact. We invite you to watch it and share it with your friends and family:
Additional Founding Forward videos, past speaker programs, and more can be found on our YouTube channel.
Coming next year: A national conference to celebrate America’s 250th and Founding Forward
The celebration of America’s 250th birthday is going to be a year-long celebration – and so too will be Founding Forward’s activities to celebrate America’s semiquincentennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We are thrilled to announce a new national conference, September 15-18, to celebrate the 250th and the continued growth of Founding Forward as a national leader in civic education. Give Me Liberty: A Civic Conference will bring hundreds of invited guests to Philadelphia and Valley Forge to experience our immersive education programs.
Save the date and sign up to learn more about the conference. Sponsorship opportunities are available to help ensure this national program becomes a reality for civic education.
First ever Good Citizen Day-on-the-Road held in Sacramento, CA!
On September 22, 2025, the first ever Good Citizen Day-on-the-Road, held outside of the historic Union League House, took place in Sacramento California. It was a tremendous success! The day was made possible through the leadership of Founding Forward’s Sacramento Chapter, Founding Forward partner John Adams Academy, and Founding Forward Senior Fellow John Yoo.
In addition to recognizing and celebrating these young civic leaders, Good Citizen Day is a day of education, focused on the U.S. Constitution, critical thinking, and civil discourse. This day in Sacramento was no different.
There were 67 high school sophomores and juniors from 23 different schools, nominated by 20 youth-serving organizations. The students explored constitutional issues, engaged in spirited debates, and participated in a mock trial program. The day culminated in students receiving the new Founding Forward Good Citizenship Award – a three-part award consisting of a certificate, medal, and lapel pin. Students left inspired, challenged, and equipped with the tools to be thoughtful, informed citizens in their communities.
We are expanding teacher outreach and 2026 programming
We’re hitting the road to connect with educators …
Over the next months, Founding Forward will be on the road at several social studies state conferences including the National Council for Social Studies Conference in Washington, DC, from December 5-7. We hope to see you at the following conferences: Ohio, Oct. 13-14; New Jersey, Oct. 20; Georgia, Oct. 23-24;
Texas, Oct. 31-Nov. 2; Florida, Oct. 31-Nov. 2; South Carolina, Nov. 13-14.
We are also creating an exciting roster of teacher seminars for 2026. Teachers: keep an eye on the seminar section of our website! If you are a Joshua Chamberlain League member, you have early access to apply to our 2026 seminars until October 8.
In the meantime, applications are still being accepted for our new one-day seminar held at The Union League of Philadelphia:
- In Their Own Words: The Civic War Experience, October 23, at the Union League, is a unique opportunity for teachers to experience the human dimension of the conflict through letters, diaries, historic photographs, and artifacts from the League’s art and historic collections. This program is free and includes a $50 travel stipend for participants.
Upcoming speaker programs
Below are some exciting speaker programs we hope you can attend this fall:
- October 7: Public Affairs: China: Rise of a Superpower, a panel discussion
- October 15: Liberty Series: 21st Century Communism with Chairman of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation Elizabeth Spalding
- October 28: Liberty Series: Inside the Supreme Court, a panel discussion
- November 4: Public Affairs: Israel & Middle East Update with Founder of the Middle East Forum Daniel Pipes
- November 20: Liberty Series: Buckley at 100 with Charles C.W. Cooke
- November 24: Civil War Round Table: Man and Myth: Sculpting Lincoln with historian and author Harold Holzer.
We are always adding speaker programs. Follow us on social media (@FoundingForward) so you don’t miss out and check the Founding Forward’s speaker program calendar to see all the exciting things happening.
If attending in person, attendance is free, but registration is required. Reception at 6:00pm, program at 6:30pm. If you can’t be there in person, you can still watch live or after on our YouTube channel.
We are hiring!
Founding Forward is actively recruiting to fill the new position of Vice President of Marketing & Communications. This person will lead and manage the marketing and communications initiatives to support our mission and our strategic growth plan. This is an in-person opportunity based in Valley Forge and Philadelphia.
If you know a senior-level marketing and communications professional who is passionate about America’s founding principles and the importance of civic education, please share this opportunity with them. You can also view the job description and learn more here. All applications should be submitted to Lambert & Associates.