Byrd to Visit Center for Constitution Webcast
Mon Sep 17 2007
To celebrate Constitution & Citizenship Day, the Center for Educational Technologies® is hosting a webcast of the longest-serving U.S. Senator delivering a civics lesson to classrooms across the country.
U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, who has represented West Virginia in the Senate since 1959, will be at the Center for Educational Technologies Tuesday to deliver his lesson on the importance of the U.S. Constitution. The senator will speak to students from several Ohio Valley schools invited to the event about the importance of the central instrument of American government. His talk also will be delivered live via the Internet on a webcast hosted on this site starting at 1 p.m.
"The Constitution is both the foundation and the guardian of our liberties. It must be studied with the knowledge that as strong and enduring as our Constitution has been, it is nevertheless a fragile, almost intangible thing that cannot survive without the dedication and constant support of citizens," Byrd said.
The Erma Ora Byrd Center for Educational Technologies on the campus of Wheeling Jesuit University is named in honor of Byrd's late wife.
"Wheeling Jesuit University is honored to have Senator Byrd join us as we celebrate the 220th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution. For students and citizens alike, it's a great opportunity to connect with perhaps the most important document in American history," said J. Davitt McAteer, Wheeling Jesuit's vice president for sponsored programs.
Congressional legislation proposed by Byrd was enacted into law in 2004 designating Sept. 17 each year as Constitution & Citizenship Day. This date was selected for observation because the Constitution was signed on Sept. 17, 1787. Constitution & Citizenship Day also focuses on the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizens, both native-born and naturalized.
Byrd also will receive the Foundations of Freedom award for his devotion and fierce defense of the Constitution.
The webcast will also feature living historian Harriet Tubman. She will talk briefly about her role in American history and facilitate conversation among the schools about the historical significance of their geographical locations.
Constitution Day activities will revolve around Foundations of Freedom™, a multimedia DVD-ROM program developed by the Center for Educational Technologies with strong support from Byrd. This multimedia curriculum supplement features documentary-style overview videos, interviews with nationally recognized experts and scholars, constitutional challenges, and much more. Teachers can use modules to enhance specific lessons or work through the complete product for a comprehensive unit.
