The 2013 Fellows have been announced.
The public is invited to the 18th Annual James Madison Symposium.
The Madison Foundation no longer requires a three-year waiting period between a previous graduate degree and applying for a fellowship.
Fellowship applicants compete only against other applicants from the states of their legal residence. To be eligible to apply for a fellowship, you must:
After receiving the master's degree, each Fellow must teach American history, American government, or social studies in grades 7–12 for one full year for each academic year of funding received under a fellowship, preferably in the state from which the recipient won the fellowship.
This was a life-changing experience and my teaching will never be the same—it will be better.
— Lisa Dishongh, Fellow from Texas
The maximum amount of each award is $24,000, prorated over the period of study, and in no case shall the award exceed $12,000 for one academic year of study. Normally, Fellows receive less than these maximum amounts. Payments are made only for the actual costs of tuition, required fees, and books (as well as room and board if required to live away from your principal residence), and are made only for the minimum number of credits required for the award of the degree for which a Fellow is registered.
Failure to complete the study for which the fellowship is awarded, to attend the Summer Institute on the Constitution, or to teach a qualifying subject in grades 7–12 for the requisite amount of time entailed by the award will result in forfeiture of the fellowship and require the return of all funds paid under the fellowship, plus applicable interest under federal law.
The Foundation offers two types of fellowships:
The fellowships are intended exclusively for graduate study leading to a master's degree. James Madison Fellows may attend any accredited institution of higher education in the United States. Each individual entering the James Madison Fellowship Program will be expected to pursue and complete a master's degree in one of the following (listed in order of the Foundation's preference):
The Fellow's proposed plan of graduate study should contain substantial constitutional coursework. Fellows are encouraged to choose institutions that offer courses that closely examine the origins and development of the U.S. Constitution, the evolution of political theory and constitutional law, the effects of the Constitution on society and culture in the United States, or other such topics directly related to the Constitution.
Whatever institution and whichever degree a Fellow selects, at least 12 semester credits (or 18 quarter credits) of constitutional study must be part of the Fellow's program. Six of these semester credits will be earned in Washington, D.C., by the Fellow at the Foundation's Summer Institute on the Constitution.
I thank the Madison Foundation for carrying on the Constitution’s spirit … as I and other Fellows pass the torch to the next generation of Americans in our classrooms.
— Sam Tombarelli, Fellow from New Hampshire
As part of the James Madison Fellowship program, each Fellow attends the four-week Summer Institute on the Constitution held in July in Washington, D.C. Fellows attend the Institute after they have matriculated in a graduate program and commenced coursework.
The academic focus of the Institute is a graduate course entitled "The Foundations of American Constitutionalism." Taught by constitutional scholars, this course is a study of the principles, framing, ratification, and implementation of constitutional government in the United States.
A feature of the Institute is the occasional trips to sites associated with the Constitution, in and around Washington.
One of the informal benefits of attending the Institute is the opportunity for interaction with a wide range of individuals whose varied interests can lead to enduring friendships and professional associations.
Expenses for the Summer Institute are included in the fellowship.
Download:
Glenna R. Humphries
Florida Fellow
Glenna earned a master's degree in social studies education at Florida International University. She teaches at South Plantation High School, Plantation, Florida.
"The fellowship has brought with it the professional recognition of the school administration and the respect of my colleagues. My classes are often the ones that students vie for when they schedule their senior year. As a James Madison Fellow, I have often thought of the fellowship in terms of a legacy to be passed on to the next generation. The fellowship brings with it an obligation to continually learn, to teach, and to inspire students in the study of the Constitution."
Kent R. Borghoff
Illinois Fellow
Kent earned a master's degree in American history at The George Washington University. He teaches at John Hersey High School, Arlington Heights, Illinois.
"The Madison Foundation's Summer Institute was an academic experience of a lifetime! Every day presented new opportunities, from meeting senators and Supreme Court justices to touring the many sites of the nation's capital and attending lectures at Madison's historic home. The experience was so complete, participants couldn't help but be inspired to explore historical and contemporary constitutional issues with an intensity that forged many new friendships and encouraged every fellow to rethink how the Constitution should be taught. I had so much fun, I wish I could do it again."
Milton Hyams
Nevada Fellow
"I have had a great deal of time to reflect on my experience at Georgetown this summer and I cannot express to you how absolutely brilliant the Institute was. . . . I have been involved in many professional development opportunities as both a student and as a trainer . . . the Institute that you ran possessed rigor, encouraged comradery, and was intellectually stimulating (the diversity of disciplines of the scholars certainly contributed to this). So thank you and congratulations for orchestrating a rewarding academic activity."
"What spectacle can be more edifying or more seasonable, than that of Liberty & Learning, each leaning on the other for their mutual and surest support?"
—James Madison, Jr.