Happy Constitution Day 2026!

Today is the day.

September 17, 2026. Constitution Day. And not just any Constitution Day — the first one celebrated during the 250th anniversary of the United States of America.

Two hundred and thirty-nine years ago today, thirty-nine men signed their names to a document in Philadelphia. They didn't know if it would work. They didn't know if the country would survive its first decade, let alone its first 250 years. They signed anyway.

Today, your students are part of that story.

To the teachers

You did it. You found the time in your curriculum. You ordered the pocket Constitutions. You ran the lesson, led the debate, handed out the essay prompts, asked the hard questions. You made a federal holiday mean something in your classroom.

That matters more than you know. Civic literacy doesn't happen by accident. It happens because teachers like you decide it's worth the effort.

If your students left class today with one new thing — one amendment they didn't know, one founding story that surprised them, one question they're still thinking about — that's a win. That's how democracy perpetuates itself.

To the students

The Constitution in your hands today is 235 years old. It has been amended 27 times. It has survived a civil war, two world wars, a cold war, and more constitutional crises than any civics textbook can fit. It is, by almost any measure, the most successful framework for self-government in human history.

And it belongs to you.

Not in a symbolic way. In an actual, legal, binding way. "We the People" means you. The rights protected in the Bill of Rights are your rights. The government established by Articles I, II, and III works — or doesn't — based on whether citizens like you pay attention, stay informed, and show up.

Happy Constitution Day. Make it count.

From the 917 Society

The 917 Society exists to make sure every 8th grader in America has a pocket Constitution in their hands on days like today. Thank you to every teacher, principal, district coordinator, and school that partnered with us this year. See you next September 17.

Visit [917society.org](https://www.917society.org) to order pocket Constitutions, register for next year's essay contest, and stay connected.