The CCCG has received a $652,642 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to host a Leadership Seminar for high-school students during the summers of 2026, 2027, and 2028, entitled “The American Experiment: Liberty for All?” Summer 2026 marks both the American Semiquincentennial and the first year that the CCCG will offer a Leadership Seminar in partnership with Notre Dame’s Office of Pre-College Programs.
This award from the U.S. Department of Education comes after a September announcement for “$153 million in new grant awards through the American History and Civics Seminars Program,” especially for “institutions of higher education with independent civics centers … focused on American History and civics education.” This grant particularly supports seminars on the 2026 American Semiquincentennial, aiming to award civics centers that “conduct expert-led seminars … [focusing] on primary documents, constitutional study, historical field experiences, civil discourse, and American achievement.”
The center’s seminar, accordingly, will examine American civic principles through figures like Thomas Jefferson, Alexis de Tocqueville, Frederick Douglass, Woodrow Wilson, FDR, and MLK, among others. Its curriculum draws from the Constitutional Studies Minor’s “gateway course,” the staple of undergraduate studies in American political and constitutional thought at Notre Dame for over a decade. Seminar attendees will participate in four days of intensive instruction (comprised of both lectures and Socratic-style discussion), a field trip to a state house or federal court in the region, student Lincoln-Douglas debates, and a one-day “research symposium” where students from other Leadership Seminars will come together to share their experiences from the program. Additionally, social activities throughout the seminar will provide opportunities for fellowship among students, and a taste of the Notre Dame experience.
Professor Phillip Muñoz, Founding Director of the CCCG, will oversee the program, and teach alongside Associate Director of the CCCG, Tyler Castle. “We are thrilled to extend our programming to high school students this summer in our continued efforts to educate the next generation of American civic leaders,” Muñoz said. “This seminar will provide high-level engagement with fundamental questions of American political thought that students can take with them to their last year of high school, and into their college career.” Guest faculty members, including CCCG Co-Director Dr. Don Stelluto, and alumni of Notre Dame’s Ph.D. program in Constitutional Studies, will also contribute to student formation during the seminar.
The seminar is a part of Notre Dame’s long-running Leadership Seminars, which are “competitive, 10-day [programs] on Notre Dame's campus for academically talented [high school] students who show impressive leadership within their communities.” The University welcomes about 150 students each year, allowing them to engage deeply with a subject of their choice, as well as potentially earning a transferable college credit and familiarizing themselves with Notre Dame’s academic programs and ethos. The center seeks 25 outstanding rising seniors in high school with interests in American political thought to participate in this particular seminar.
To ensure the center’s goal of reaching participants from a diverse range of public and private high schools, geographic regions, socio-economic backgrounds, and ideological perspectives, tuition, housing, and meals are covered for all students. Students are only expected to contribute a $75 application fee and a $150 enrollment fee. While most students in Notre Dame’s Leadership Seminars are also required to cover their own travel expenses to and from South Bend, the center is offering the opportunity to apply for a $500 travel stipend.
The center is thrilled to offer an opportunity for high school students to familiarize themselves with the founding principles of American constitutionalism during the 2026 American Semiquincentennial, to engage in discussion and debate as they develop their own perspectives on American political thought, and to grow in fellowship with each other. We look forward to welcoming them to campus this summer.
Applications are currently live and close January 21, 2026. More details on eligibility can be found here.