HS Students
Constitutional Democracy Academy
A Summer Enrichment Program for Rising High School Juniors and Seniors
A new initiative at the Kinder Institute, the Constitutional Democracy Academy is an academic summer program designed for high school students who are passionate about civic education and who would like to spend a week diving deeply into the subjects of American political history and American political thought.
Through a series of discussion-based seminars led by MU faculty, participants will both tackle questions of historical significance and apply their answers to the current state of U.S. politics. They will, for example, not only consider how the U.S. Constitution was designed to create an effective government that would stay within its limits and not become tyrannical but also turn to the present to assess whether the Constitution has been successful in striking this balance.
Other topics at the Constitutional Democracy Academy might include:
The Constitutional Convention
Separation of Powers and the Control of the Effects of Faction
Founding Mothers
Slavery and the Constitution
The Bill of Rights
The Supreme Court
Applications for the 2025 Constitutional Democracy Academy, which will be held July 7-11 and July 21-25 on the Mizzou Campus in Columbia, can be accessed here with a deadline of March 31 (note that letter writers can also submit recommendations via the above link).
A brochure for the program can be found here, and contact CDA Director Dr. Rudy Hernandez, HernandezRK@missouri.edu, with any questions.
A Look Behind the Scenes
And click here for a photo gallery of last year’s CDA.
Registration Fee, Lodging, and Board
The academy is hosted on the campus of the University of Missouri in Columbia, and students will be housed in campus residence halls. Residential Advisors will be in dorms with students to advise and assist them.
A non-refundable fee of $100 will be required of accepted applicants to reserve their place. All other expenses associated with the Constitutional Democracy Academy, including meals, lodging, and any program materials, are covered by the Kinder Institute. Some assistance with the registration fee, as well as travel to and from Columbia, is available for those in financial need.
In addition to the daily seminar, students will have the opportunity to participate in a wide array of recreational activities, including film screenings, cultural excursions in Columbia, and more.
Application Requirements and Instructions
Applications for the 2025 CDA, which are due March 31 and which can be accessed here, will consist of the following:
—A 500-word essay describing why you are interested in attending the Kinder Institute’s Constitutional Democracy Academy
—A copy of your current high school transcript
—A letter of recommendation from a teacher or adult mentor (other than a parent), submitted separately from the other application materials by the recommender, also through the Qualtrics link above.