Bill of Rights Institute joins Monticello civic education summit

The Bill of Rights Institute has been selected for the inaugural Educating for American Democracy: Cultivating Civic Imaginations Summit at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in November 2026. The project will explore how civic education builds self-government habits, civic agency and community engagement across museums, libraries and historic sites.

Why it matters: - The Bill of Rights Institute will join a national effort to expand civic learning at museums, libraries and historic sites. - The work is designed to help institutions create programs that build the habits of self-government and community engagement. - The summit launches a yearlong project cycle that ends with a second gathering in November 2027.

What happened: - The Bill of Rights Institute was selected for the inaugural Educating for American Democracy: Cultivating Civic Imaginations Summit at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia. - The two-day summit runs Nov. 11-12, 2026. - The event will bring together professionals from 68 community learning sites. - Participants will include historical, educational and civic institutions from across the country. - The Bill of Rights Institute project is titled “Imagining Self-Government: What Civic Education Makes Possible.” - Rachel Davison Humphries, senior director of civic learning, leads the project.

The details: - Monticello hosts the Educating for American Democracy Community Learning Partners Network, known as EAD-CLP. - The network is a collaborative initiative of educators working in museums, libraries and historic sites. - The project explores educational experiences that help people develop imagination, judgment and habits tied to shared responsibility. - The work connects philosophical inquiry, educational design and methods for measuring civic growth. - The project will examine how civic learning can foster agency, collaboration and meaningful action. - The project will also look at how institutions can recognize and strengthen that growth. - Summit attendees will take part in workshops, talks and collaborative planning. - Participants will develop civics-infused programs, resources and exhibitions for their local communities. - The summit is supported by a grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation and an anonymous private donor. - Monticello and EAD-CLP will offer monthly virtual meetings during the year of project work. - The summit website points readers to a full list of participating organizations: the full list of organizations.

Between the lines: - The initiative reflects a push to connect civic education with real-world institutional programming, not just classroom instruction. - The focus on measurement suggests organizers want evidence that civic-learning efforts change behavior and participation, not just attitudes. - Monticello’s role gives the project historical symbolism as well as institutional reach.

What's next: - Participating institutions will continue the work through monthly virtual check-ins. - The cohort will refine projects over the coming year. - A second summit is scheduled for November 2027. - The completed projects are expected to produce new civic, cultural and historical learning experiences in local communities.

The bottom line: - The Bill of Rights Institute is using the Monticello summit to test how civic education can translate into stronger self-government and more active public life.