Inaugural Mansfield Civics Institute

"Is it possible for a group of high schoolers to spend two weeks studying the hardest questions in American history and government and walk away not more cynical, but more connected? At the Mansfield Civics Institute (MCI) this summer, the answer was a resounding yes." - Thresa Skeslien Jenkins

Over the summer, Professor Scott Arcenas founded and taught the inaugural version of the Mansfield Civics Institute: an intensive two-week residential program designed to build civic knowledge, critical thinking, and democratic engagement among high school students across the state of Montana. 

        

Team-taught by Professor Arcenas and students from the University of Montana and Stanford University, the Institute focuses on foundational principles of American democracy, including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, federalism, the rule of law, and freedom of speech. 

"We need to make sure that everyone has access to high-quality civics education. My hope is that MCI will demonstrate that partnerships between Stanford and public institutions like the University of Montana can play a pivotal role in these efforts.” - Professor Arcenas

The Institute is a partnership between the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center, the Stanford Civics Initiative, the Center for Revitalizing American Institutions at the Hoover Institution, and the Democracy Studies Program at the University of Montana.  

For more information about the program, please see this article by Billings native Thresa Skeslien Jenkins, who participated in the program.

Applications for summer 2027 will open on November 1, 2026.