Federal Courts’ Naturalization Ceremonies are Living Civics Lessons
Easy way to fulfill the congressional mandate for schools to observe Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
Students will participate in real-life civics lessons at naturalization ceremonies scheduled at National Park Service (NPS) sites and other iconic places—from Ellis Island to Pearl Harbor—in celebration of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day* on Friday, Sept. 16.
This year, as part of the federal courts’ national initiative, federal judges will swear in new citizens at courthouses, iconic landmarks, and NPS sites and historic places in observance of the agency’s 100th anniversary.
Sept. 17 is the official anniversary of the signing of the Constitution, however, naturalization ceremonies are scheduled almost every day the week before that date. Each year, during the third week of September, federal judges administer the Oath of Allegiance at such national treasures as the Lincoln Memorial, in Washington, D.C.; Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park, in Appomattox, Va.; the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, near Knoxville, Tenn.; the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, in West Branch, Iowa; and the Battleship USS Missouri Memorial, in Hawaii.
For more information about student participation in naturalization ceremonies, or schools hosting ceremonies for Constitution Day and Citizenship Day in 2017, contact the national outreach manager for the federal courts, Rebecca Fanning.
At some naturalization ceremonies in September, students will participate in the third annual Preamble Challenge by reciting the introduction to the Constitution as part of the program. Every year, across the nation, students say or perform the preamble in some inventive way in classrooms, schoolyards and public venues. Launched by the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia in 2014, the Preamble Challenge has attracted thousands of students who bring their creativity to a performance of the preamble on the day designated for the observance of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. This year, Sept. 16 is the day students will share the preamble’s promise with their peers.
Interested teachers who sign up for the Preamble Challenge will receive access to a free teacher toolkit that includes videos, games, lesson plans and more for all grade levels. Teachers share their Preamble Challenge and their participation in naturalization ceremonies on Twitter and Instagram using #ConstitutionDay2016. See highlights from last year’s challenge and make plans to join this live learning experience supported by the Civics Renewal Network.
The Civics Renewal Network, whose members participate in both of these annual initiatives, is a collaboration among 29 nonprofit, nonpartisan organizations that provide high-quality, free classroom resources for civics education. The network’s mission is to raise awareness of the importance of creating informed, engaged citizens and making civics education resources easily accessible to teachers through a one-stop website. In addition to the federal courts, the network includes the Annenberg Public Policy Center, Bill of Rights Institute, Center for Civic Education, Library of Congress and the National Archives.
* Observing or participating in naturalization ceremonies on Constitution Day and Citizenship Day helps schools meet a 2004 Congressional mandate: "(b) Each educational institution that receives Federal funds for a fiscal year shall hold educational program on the United States Constitution on September17 of such year for the students served by the educational institution."
Rebecca Fanning is the Educational Outreach Manager for the Federal Courts at the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, She develops living civics experiences that are offered at federal courthouses across the nation. Rebecca is committed to involving, informing, and inspiring the next generation of jurors – and their teachers.
