The National Constitution Center collaboration hopes to increase public understanding of the law, especially among students and young adults.
The Ohio State Bar Association this week launched a new partnership with the National Constitution Center to increase public understanding of the law, especially among students and other young adults.
As part of this collaboration, Ohio lawyers and judges will have the opportunity to join students in classrooms to teach them about the U.S. Constitution and their rights and responsibilities as U.S. citizens.
“Thorough knowledge of the Constitution is the foundation of an informed and engaged citizenry,” said Ohio Bar CEO Mary Amos Augsburger. “Via this partnership, students in Ohio and beyond will be empowered to fully participate in their communities as responsible citizens. Who better to impart this crucial info than the lawyers and judges whose job it is to apply, defend and interpret our founding document?”
The National Constitution Center, based in Philadelphia, serves as America’s leading platform for Constitutional education and debate, fulfilling its Congressional charter “to disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution on a nonpartisan basis.”
The center brings the Constitution to life through its museum, debates and interactive educational programs, including its Scholar Exchange Program. The program relies on volunteer attorneys, judges and educators across the country to engage virtually with classes of high school, middle school and college students on various Constitutional topics.
In 2024, the NCC’s Scholar Exchange program reached over 560 classrooms and more than 13,000 students across 40 states on a variety of selected topics, including federalism and the separation of powers, the Bill of Rights and more. Learn more about the program on the NCC’s website.
“The NCC’s Scholar Exchange program allows students to gain a deeper understanding of the Constitution while developing important skills to engage in civil dialogue,” said NCC Student and Teacher Programs Manager Kevin Lynch. “What makes the program unique is the collaboration and investment of time from our friends in some of the most respected organizations in law and justice, like scholars from the Ohio State Bar Association, who dedicate their time and expertise to increasing the civic education of students across the country.”
Through this new collaboration, Ohio State Bar Association member attorneys and judges will be able to volunteer to serve as a Constitutional scholar. Educators can request courses from among a selection of National Constitution Center topics and connect their classroom virtually with a volunteer attorney or judge and a Constitution Center facilitator. Through these courses, students gain a deeper Constitutional understanding and engage in enhanced civil discourse.
According to a recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce study, a full 70% of Americans failed a basic civic literacy quiz (similar to the citizenship exam for immigrants). As part of its outreach, the Ohio State Bar Association works to improve civics literacy in the state and nation.
To that end, the association creates and distributes several civics resources, developed in close collaboration with its attorney members, including:
- My Ohio Rights – An animated video series that aims to teach students and young adults about their rights and responsibilities as Ohio citizens. Through grant funding from The Ohio State Bar Foundation, My Ohio Rights earned 1.4 million impressions via social media and more than 15,000 website users in 2024.
- Judicial Votes Count – A nonpartisan voter information website that informs and educates the citizenry about the importance of voting for judges. Due to grant funding from the Ohio Supreme Court and the American Bar Association Cornerstones of Democracy Project, Judicial Votes Count reached more than 450,000 website users looking for information about the judges on their ballots in 2024 and more than 27 million social media impressions.
- Law You Can Use – A series of short articles and videos that educate the public about commonly asked legal questions and the importance of connecting with a lawyer. Over the last year, 450,000 users have sought information on legal topics via “Law You Can Use.”
Along with the National Constitution Center, the bar and its members support the work of its committees and affiliates who are also dedicated to creating an informed citizenry, including:
- The Ohio Center for Law-Related Education – An organization that provides Ohio’s students and teachers with academic programs and resources, designed to engage students in learning about government, law and the importance of active citizenship.
- Ohio State Bar Foundation – A nonprofit organization promoting philanthropy and encouraging service to create a more just and equitable legal system for all Ohioans.
- Thomas J. Moyer Legacy Committee – An Ohio Bar committee whose mission is to honor the late Ohio Chief Justice by sustaining and enhancing the tenets for which he stood, including legal and civic education, dispute resolution, personal integrity, ethics, civility and judicial independence and the rule of law.
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