Our purpose is clear...and relevant.
Now more than ever, an understanding of history and civic discourse is essential. Yet schools have experienced alarming decreases in funding for civic education. Society as a whole must recommit to civic education, particularly of adolescents and young adults.
The mission of the Sacramento Federal Judicial Library and Learning Center Foundation (Foundation) is to promote public knowledge of how an independent judiciary protects the U.S. Constitution, civil rights, the rule of law, and promotes liberty and equal dignity for all while spotlighting the role federal courts play in a constitutional democracy dependent on citizen engagement.
Our effort is inspired.
Dr. Kari Kelso makes a presentation to visitors at the Kennedy Learning Center.
With Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy as our guide and our various educational programs, displays, hosted special exhibits, school tours and public lectures as our focus, we are well-equipped to promote understanding of the judiciary by elementary and secondary teachers, their students and the general public.
As a leading center for court-based civics education and a linchpin in a national network of learning centers, the Foundation aspires to:
- Educate students and teachers about the role of the judiciary in our constitutional democracy.
- Promote and sponsor programs in schools that educate teachers and students about constitutional rights and civic responsibilities.
- Bring the general public into the Courthouse to learn more about the history of our judiciary in Sacramento and the Central Valley.
- Raise funds to support the Foundation's mission and the Learning Center's operations.
To that end, we have coordinated with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to focus on three key programs:
- The Justice Anthony M. Kennedy Library and Learning Center
- Operation Protect and Defend
- The Summer Institute
The Honorable Justice Anthony M. Kennedy.
Justice Anthony M. Kennedy is one of three Supreme Court Justices in our nation’s history with close ties to the Sacramento area. Born in Sacramento on July 23, 1936, Justice Kennedy practiced law in Sacramento following his graduation from Harvard Law School. In addition to practicing law, Justice Kennedy was a professor of constitutional law at University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law.
He was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in 1975 and ultimately nominated by President Reagan as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, where he took his seat on February 18, 1988. Justice Kennedy is a fervent believer in the critical role education — especially civic education — plays in our constitutional democracy.
