Constitutional Democracy Academy
Session: July 11-15, 2025
A Summer Enrichment Program for Rising High School Juniors and Seniors
How was the U.S. Constitution designed to create an effective and efficient government that would nonetheless stay within its limits and not become tyrannical? Has the Constitution been successful in striking this balance? Missouri high school students who are deeply interested in American history and American politics are invited to apply to this week-long seminar to explore these and similar questions.
Seminars will be discussion-based and led by the University of Missouri faculty hosted on campus at the state’s flagship university. Students will live in residence halls with on-site staff to assist them during the camp. Additional recreational activities include a downtown scavenger hunt, a tour of the state historical society, and a formal dinner with a keynote speaker.
Rising Missouri high school juniors and seniors are invited to apply. Past program participants are not eligible. A non-refundable fee of $100 will be required of accepted applicants to reserve a place in the seminar. All other costs, except for travel to and from Columbia, are covered by the Kinder Institute. Some assistance with registration fees and travel is available to those with financial need. Interested students can apply at democracy.missouri.edu/high-school-students/cda.
Students will need to submit the following:
- One-page essay describing why you are interested in attending the Kinder Institute Constitutional Democracy Academy
- A copy of your current high school transcript
- In addition to the application and materials above, please also have a teacher or adult mentor (other than a parent) complete the application and submit a letter of recommendation
- Applications due March 31