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First Amendment Freedoms

Date & Time

-

Description

Please note, applications have closed for this seminar. Over six days, participants will explore the myriad issues surrounding the 1st Amendment – precisely, freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. The Founders had a perspicacious appreciation of human nature. They understood that in a free republic, citizens must have avenues to express themselves. Even foolish ideas must have the ability to be articulated, discussed, and refuted. Failure to allow people to express themselves can cause intense pressure and the possibility of violent reactions. Liberty requires freedom of expression, especially freedom of conscience, which deals with citizens’ deepest convictions.

We will examine English precedents to the Bill of Rights and subsequent court cases that have helped develop our understanding of liberty, along with cases and social mobilizations that have led to a devolution of the nation’s understanding of these rights.

Dr. Joseph Fornieri, Professor of Political Science at Rochester Institute of Technology will serve as the primary scholar for this seminar, examining First Amendment jurisprudence and the cases that have expanded or contracted these most important liberties and the foundation they offer for a democratic republic. Dr. Graham Lee, emeritus professor at St. Joseph’s University, will expound on religious liberty with special consideration of the Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Roberts. Will Creeley, Legal Director at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Expression, and others will be featured as speakers, panelists, and more.

In addition to content presentations and discussions, there will be lesson demonstrations for master teachers, resource sharing from some of our favorite partners in the civic education space, and the opportunity to network with fellow professionals from across the country.

Teachers will spend one day out of the classroom on a field study of Philadelphia, in the room where it happened at Independence Hall as well as the National Liberty Museum, the Weitzman Museum of American Jewish History, the National Constitution Center, Benjamin Franklin’s Printing Press, and the Liberty Bell.

Thanks to a generous donor, Founding Forward will provide a $150 stipend to every accepted teacher to help offset expenses related to attending a summer professional development seminar, workshop, or summer in 2025. Upon completion of the program, teachers will receive a $150 check to help cover travel, childcare, or any other expenses they might incur. 

Accepted teachers receive a scholarship to attend the program, which covers the cost of the program, hotel room, program materials, site visits, most meals, and more.

Graduate credit will be offered by La Salle University. Pennsylvania teachers will receive Act 48 credit for this seminar.

Location

800 Ridge Pike
Lafayette Hill, PA 19444

Featured Speakers

  • Dr. Joseph Fornieri, Political Philosopher
    Rochester Institute of Technology
    Dr. Fornieri is the Director of the Center for Statecraft, Law, and Liberty, a non-partisan organization that seeks to enhance the study of political greatness and responsible citizenship at the secondary and college levels. An award-winning instructor, Fornieri teaches classes in American political thought and leadership, rhetoric, political philosophy, and the First Amendment. Dr. Fornieri was a member of the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, 1809-2009. The same year he was awarded a Fulbright as a Lecturer at Charles University in Prague, the Czech Republic. He is the author of a several books on the Sixteenth President, including Abraham Lincoln’s Political Faith and Abraham Lincoln, Philosopher Statesman. He is also co-author and editor of An Invitation to Political Thought. His recent books include: Free Speech: Core Court Cases, Abraham Lincoln: Core Documents and American Statesmanship, Principles and Practices of Leadership from Notre Dame University Press. A former High School teacher, Fornieri’s mission includes outreach to secondary teachers and students throughout the country. He is now working on a book comparing and contrasting the political thought and leadership of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.
  • Will Creeley, Legal Director
    Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE)
    Since joining FIRE in 2006, Will has successfully defended expressive rights and core civil liberties nationwide. As Legal Director, Will coordinates FIRE’s legal advocacy and oversees FIRE’s Litigation, Legislative and Policy, Policy Reform, and Targeted Advocacy departments. He has appeared on national television and radio on FIRE’s behalf, and has spoken to thousands of students, faculty, administrators, and attorneys about First Amendment rights at events across the country. A co-author of First Things First: A Modern Coursebook on Free Speech Fundamentals, Will’s writing has been published by The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and many other outlets. Will has authored amicus curiae briefs submitted to courts nationwide, including the Supreme Court of the United States and multiple United States Courts of Appeals. Barred in New York and Pennsylvania, Will is a member of the First Amendment Lawyers Association and serves as co-chair of the Education Subcommittee of the American Bar Association’s Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice.Will is a 2006 graduate of New York University School of Law, where he served as an associate executive editor for the New York University Law Review. Will graduated magna cum laude from New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study in 2003.
  • Andrew M. Goretsky, Regional Director
    ADL Philadelphia
    Goretsky joined the ADL Philadelphia office, which serves Eastern PA, Southern NJ, and DE in January 2022. ADL is a leading anti-hate organization with a more than 100-year-old mission to “Fight the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure Justice and Fair Treatment to All.” Prior to joining ADL in 2022, Andrew worked in Higher Education Administration for 23 years. Most recently he was Dean of Students at Arcadia University. Goretsky also served in a variety of roles at The George Washington University; served in Residential Life at the University of Maryland; and led the Native American Special Interest Residential Community at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Andrew began his career working with students with Learning Differences at Landmark College in Vermont. Andrew holds a Doctor of Education, Higher Education Administration from The George Washington University; Master of Arts in Student Personnel Administration from New York University; and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from SUNY at Buffalo.
  • Dr. Graham Lee, Professor Emeritus
    Saint Joseph’s University
    Dr. Lee’s 45-year career at St. Joseph University focused on constitutional law with an emphasis on issues arising from the religious liberty guarantees of the First Amendment. In addition to lecturing on this subject, he also concentrated on judicial selection and the appointment process, equal protection, and voting behavior. He served in multiple university roles in addition to his teaching and scholarship including as the university pre-law advisor, director of the legal studies program, director of graduate programs, chair of the law professions advisory committee, and spent a year as Dean of University College. His scholarship includes three books: Equal Protection: Right and Liberties under the Law, Church-State Relations, and Wall of Controversy: Church-State Conflict in America: The Justices and Their Opinions.

Historic Sites

  • Independence Hall, Philadelphia, PA
  • National Liberty Museum, Philadelphia, PA
  • Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, Philadelphia, PA
  • National Constitution Center, Philadelphia, PA
  • Liberty Bell, Philadelphia, PA
  • Franklin’ Print Shop, Philadelphia, PA

About the Program

Typically scheduled from Sunday through Friday in the summer, Founding Forward’s teacher seminars are hosted at Union League Liberty Hill – a 300+ acre private conference center and golf course in suburban Philadelphia. Each seminar has a single theme and consists of content-focused talks by highly regarded scholars (morning and afternoon) interspersed each day with activation sessions featuring either lesson demonstrations from master teachers and presentations from resource providers like Retro Report or Periodic Presidents. Finally, each seminar includes an out-of-classroom field study of historic sites, archives, and museums.

About Founding Forward

Founding Forward educates and empowers individuals to participate in and uphold the American system of self-government.
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