As the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, St. Ambrose Academy in Madison is marking America250 with a semester-long series of academic and community programming. This fall, the Academy invites alumni, students, families, and the wider community to reflect on the nation’s founding principles and their enduring significance.
From a roundtable discussion and faculty lectures that are open to the public to a robust academic decathlon for all St. Ambrose Academy students in grades 6-12, the variety of events will offer opportunities to consider the American founding through the lenses of history, philosophy, faith and civic life.
This unique collection of civic offerings is the result of a grant obtained for the Academy by History Department Chair Mr. Michael Kwas. Kwas successfully applied for the sole grant given to a school in the state of Wisconsin by the Jack Miller Center of Philadelphia. 

Attend the Roundtable on September 30

To kick off the exciting line-up, all are welcome to attend the America250 Roundtable Panel: The Declaration and the Human Person, which will take place Wednesday, September 30, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Academy’s Commons. Guests may arrive beginning at 6:40 p.m. and use the School Entrance on the northeast corner of the building (702 S. High Point Road Ste 209, Madison).
The panel features Bishop Donald J. Hying, former Milwaukee Mayor and Ambassador to Luxembourg Tom Barrett, and UW-Madison political theorists Dr. Jeffrey Clark and Dr. Michelle Schwarze. St. Ambrose Academy History Department Chair Michael Kwas will moderate.
The evening is opportunity to explore the ideas and historical context surrounding America’s founding through the different perspectives of four guest panelists. The event is free, open to the public, and offers an opportunity for the community to engage in a thoughtful discussion about the nation’s founding and its continuing relevance through the lenses of faith, civil service, and political theory.
Registration is requested and additional information is available at ambroseacademy.org/roundtable.

America250 Faculty Speaker Series Open to the Public

Continuing the exploration of the America250 celebrations this fall, all are warmly invited to continue engaging in the ideas of our nation with a three-part fall faculty speaker series, led by distinguished members of the Academy’s faculty. Visitors will gain insight into both the Academy’s classroom experience as well as the exploration of our nation’s founding through different academic disciplines and perspectives. Topics and presenters include:

• October 20, 7-8:15 p.m. with Dr. Geoffrey Ludvik, The Classical Republican Roots of the Declaration of Independence.
• November 17, 7-8:15 p.m. with Dr. Constance Nielsen, The Declaration of Independence and Catholic Social Teaching.
• December 1, 7-8:15 p.m. with Dr. Alan Fimister, The American Revolution Through British Eyes.

All lectures take place in the St. Ambrose Academy Commons, 702 S. High Point Road Ste 209, Madison (through the School Entrance). Registration is recommended but not required and info can be found at ambroseacademy.org/spotlight. 

Students Explore the Declaration Through Academic Decathlon

Alongside the public programming, St. Ambrose students are participating in an innovative academic decathlon designed to engage the entire school in exploring the Declaration of Independence. The competition brings together a wide range of skills and interests, with additional activities earning points for students’ Houses.
The decathlon integrates perfectly into the classical classrooms of the Academy. Every student is expected to participate in at least one activity, with opportunities for both individual and team projects.
While some events feature familiar academic challenges, such as oration and essay writing, others invite students to demonstrate creativity and practical skills through sewing circles, skits based on George Washington’s Rules of Civility, and a strategy game design competition. 
Eighth- and 11th-grade history students will collaborate with their peers on large-scale maps illustrating the grievances listed in the Declaration, with explanatory text describing their meaning. Students will also create a museum-style exhibition featuring Revolutionary-era artifacts, using photographs and writing concise object labels that explain each item’s historical significance. Other classes are incorporating the founding era through art and calligraphy. 
Tying in with some of the topics of the America250 Faculty Speaker Series:

• Ninth-grade students will explore civic virtue and the influence of classical Greek thought on early American republicanism through a final essay. 
• Religion classes are also connecting the founding documents with Catholic social teaching.

Through this combination of a public roundtable and lectures, classroom learning, and creative House-based competition, St. Ambrose Academy hopes to make the America250 celebration an opportunity for the whole community to engage with the nation’s founding and reflect on the principles of human dignity, civic virtue, and responsible citizenship.