The Institute for American Constitutional Government is a program for twenty-five excellent high school American Government and History teachers from the states formed from the old Northwest Territory and neighboring states interested in delving deeply into the central documents, ideas, and events of the American founding and who desire to apply what they learn directly to the classroom. The Institute is based on the conviction that a proper appreciation of the accomplishments of the United States and its political institutions depends on an informed understanding of the thought of America's founding statesmen. To this end, the Institute is designed to assist teachers in discovering and studying this thought.

The Institute is a rigorous ten-day program beginning at 8:30 each morning and concluding at 4:30 each afternoon during which the participants will:

1. examine in detail daily reading assignments consisting of colonial documents, the Declaration of Independence, The Federalist, Madison's Notes of the Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787, the writings of the Anti-Federalists, and additional documents from the Founding period;
2. study and discuss in depth the political principles and arguments that shaped the American founding, such as republican institutions, the Convention, Ratification, the Anti-Federalist-Federalist debate, the Bill of Rights, and constitutional development;
3. attend a 45 minute discussion of the day's readings, a two hour seminar, and an afternoon group discussion of the morning lecture, all with the distinguished visiting lecturer for that day;
4. participate in the afternoon workshops for reviewing resources and developing lesson plans;
5. attend two follow-up meetings during the school year in order to evaluate and discuss their success in implementing the materials of the Institute in their classrooms.,

Distinguished Guest Lectueres: Kirk Emmert, Christopher Flannery, Morton Frisch, and Glen E. Thurow.

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