Special Evening Program on July 28 to Feature Hamilton Consultant Tim Bailey and Historian Denver Brunsman
YORBA LINDA, Calif. — The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum will welcome 23 exceptional elementary school educators from across the country next week for the annual We the Teachers National Civics Seminar, presented by the Richard Nixon Foundation in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and made possible through the generous support of Patricia and William Podlich.
Designed for educators teaching grades 3–5, the weeklong seminar provides an immersive professional development experience focused on the founding of the United States and the enduring principles of American democracy. Held at the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, the seminar equips teachers with historical scholarship, classroom-ready resources, and innovative instructional strategies to help bring civics and American history to life for young learners.
In recognition of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, this year’s seminar, The Declaration of Independence and the Founding of the United States, examines the nation’s founding from multiple perspectives through the study of primary sources and the latest historical scholarship. Participants will explore colonial America on the eve of the Revolution, the growing conflict between Great Britain and its American colonies, the Declaration of Independence and its philosophical foundations, the Revolutionary War, and the creation of the new American republic.
Complementing the historical content are daily pedagogical workshops that demonstrate practical ways to translate complex historical themes into engaging elementary classroom lessons. Through collaborative discussions and interactive learning activities, participants will deepen their understanding of the nation’s founding while developing creative approaches to teaching civics that inspire informed and engaged citizens.
The seminar also includes a special public program on Tuesday, July 28, at 6:30 p.m. in the Nixon Library’s East Room. Historian Denver Brunsman and educator Tim Bailey, who served as a historical consultant for the Broadway production Hamilton, will present 1776 and Hamilton.
Using the acclaimed musical Hamilton alongside the classic film 1776, Brunsman and Bailey will explore how film and theater can illuminate the ideas, debates, and personalities that shaped the American founding. The discussion will examine how these artistic interpretations can serve as powerful tools for teaching the enduring principles of liberty, self-government, and civic responsibility to the next generation.
The We the Teachers National Civics Seminar is an initiative of the Nixon Civics Academy, the Richard Nixon Foundation’s educational program dedicated to inspiring the next generation of informed, engaged citizens through innovative civics education. The partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute reflects the Academy’s commitment to providing world-class professional development that empowers teachers to bring America’s founding principles to life in classrooms across the nation. Learn more about the Nixon Civics Academy at NixonFoundation.org/Nixon-Civics-Academy and about the We the Teachers National Civics Seminar at Gilder Lehrman Institute at https://www.gilderlehrman.org/professional-development/summer/teacher-seminars-in-person/we-teachers-national-civics-seminar-declaration-independence-founding-united-states
About The Richard Nixon Foundation
The Richard Nixon Foundation is a privately supported, nonprofit, nonpartisan institution that advances President Nixon’s legacy of visionary leadership, international grand strategy, public service, and a more just society for all Americans. The Foundation is based at the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, California, and works throughout the country and online by actively encouraging and supporting scholarship, sponsoring programs that engage the public with American civics, creating and promoting educational exhibits rooted in American history, and fostering discussion and debate about America’s 37th president. For additional information, visit www.nixonfoundation.org.
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