“Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives,” President James Madison famously said in 1822.

That quote is part of the inspiration for the Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution at Madison’s home, Montpelier, where Americans are able to increase their knowledge of the Constitution, better understand the thinking of the Founding Fathers, and engage in thought-provoking dialogues with historians, authors, and scholars as a means of deepening “the power which knowledge gives.”

For insights, Grateful American™ Series founder David Bruce Smith and Grateful American Foundation Executive Director Hope Katz Gibbs sat down with the directors of the Center, including:

• Dr. Sean T. O’Brien, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Montpelier Foundation
• Jennifer Howell, director of digital publishing at Montpelier
• Dr. Lynn Uzzell, scholar in residence at the Center for the Constitution

In this podcast interview, the leaders of the Center for the Constitution will help you discover:

• The Center for the Constitution was established by The Montpelier Foundation in 2002 with a goal of becoming the nation’s leading resource in high-quality constitutional education. How are the directors accomplishing that mission?
• The Center as a teaching academy. How does the Center serve as a place where professionals are immersed in intellectual engagement with the theory and meaning of the American Constitution?
• The ideas and innovations that underlie our nation’s great experiment in self-government. What are some of the discussions like?
• More than 11,000 professionals from all 50 states and more than 40 countries have participated in the Center’s programs—among these are teachers, state supreme court justices, and elected officials. What do they come specifically to learn?

Click here to download the podcast now on InkandescentRadio.com.

About the Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution

The Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution at James Madison’s Montpelier offers world-class onsite and web-enabled educational programming. The Center’s goal is to inspire participation in civic dialogue, improve the public’s understanding of the founding principles of the United States, and enable citizens to deepen their understanding of and participation in our democracy.

With the Center, you can:

• Join a discussion of the Constitution and constitutional principles in ConText
• Learn about the Constitution and Bill of Rights with free online courses
• Apply to attend a residential seminar

Learn more about the Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution at montpelier.org/center.

Click here to learn more about The Grateful American™ Series: GratefulAmericanSeries.com.

Here’s to restoring enthusiasm for American history in children—and adults, too!