Under Secretary Ted Mitchell will explore citizenship and civic education when he delivers the annual George Washington Leadership Lecture at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, Oct. 16, at Mount Vernon, Virginia.
Mitchell will outline the evolution of civic education from the American Revolution to the Progressive Era. He will be joined by Douglas Bradburn, a noted history scholar on George Washington who also serves as the founding director of The Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington, who will discuss the meaning of citizenship in Washington's time. An interactive discussion of the two brief lectures will follow, moderated by University of Southern California public policy professor David Sloane.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan has called for revitalizing and improving civic education to equip students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the 21st century—the ability to communicate effectively, work collectively, ask critical questions, appreciate diversity, and meaningfully participate in public life.