This professional development program for K–12 educators will feature a lecture on Electoral College: History and Controversies in an Election Year with Cato Institute Vice President John Samples, the founder and director of Cato’s Center for Representative Government, which studies the First Amendment, government institutional failure, and public opinion. Samples serves on the Oversight Board, which provides final and binding decisions on whether specific content should be allowed or removed from Facebook and Instagram. Sample’s presentation will be followed by workshops from iCivics, the National Constitution Center, and the Bill of Rights Institute.

With the presidential election a few short weeks away, discussing the Electoral College with your students has never been timelier. This multipart professional development program exclusive to educators will feature an engaging lecture on the history of the Electoral College, its function and purpose, implications for electoral politics, and the debates and controversies surrounding the Electoral College.

Three 15‐​minute workshops will follow the opening lecture. The nation’s leading organizations in civic education—iCivics, the National Constitution Center, and the Bill of Rights Institute—will host the workshops and talk about the latest offerings that they have to support classroom education this year. Each workshop will highlight tools and resources to help you be more effective in teaching civic education.

The program will conclude with a Q&A with Samples, who will address your biggest questions and concerns about the Electoral College.