Most Americans can’t name their First Amendment rights. A new course wants to change that.
Americans can now take over a dozen free, online courses hosted by Arizona State University to learn more about their First Amendment rights, thanks to a new partnership between two nonprofits.
The initiative, dubbed the First Amendment Academy, includes 15 interactive, self-guided courses covering the five freedoms protected by the First Amendment — religion, speech, press, assembly and petition — as well as 25 short quizzes. The academy was developed by Freedom Forum, a nonprofit dedicated to advocating for First Amendment rights, and Newswell, a nonprofit affiliated with ASU that promotes local journalism.
“The First Amendment is the cornerstone of our democracy, our ability as citizens to live our lives in any number of ways. I just don’t think people understand that well enough,” Freedom Forum vice president and First Amendment expert Kevin Goldberg said. “So we’re trying to supplement that in a way that will really make it resonate and have them take ownership of the First Amendment for themselves in their lives.”