Join the Constitutional Law Center on June 20th for a day of informative, insightful, and inspirational presentations from top teachers and academics in the field of social studies and civics instruction! BREAKFAST and LUNCH will be provided to registered attendees free of cost! Additionally, the Center will provide registered attendees with registration packets including instructional materials, resources, giveaway items, and a Certificate of Attendance.
This conference is designed to be beneficial for educators across the board: primary level, secondary level, Social Studies instructors, instructors from additional areas including English, Science, Arts, Spanish Instruction, and More – the Center has helped teachers from across a variety of subject areas integrate civics into lesson plans. This conference is perfect for any educator hoping to incorporate civics into their classroom!
Speakers include the current National Council of the Social Studies Teacher of the Year, current South Carolina Teacher of the Year, former Georgia Teacher of the Year/Past President of the Georgia Council of the Social Studies, and an award winning academic in educational studies. View the conference agenda (pdf)
Conference Speakers
Ernie Lee, JD, 2016 Georgia Teacher of the Year
I never said it would be easy, I said it would be worth it!
Ernie Lee holds a BA in Psychology from Mercer University and a Juris Doctor from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law. After a 20-year legal career, he transitioned to teaching in Savannah Chatham County Public Schools in 2010. In 2016, Mr. Lee was honored as Georgia Teacher of the Year. He also received a teacher fellowship from the Smithsonian Institute and was selected to travel to Helsinki to study Finland’s education system. A past President of the Georgia Council for the Social Studies, Mr. Lee is a member of several professional organizations, including the National Council for the Social Studies, the American Psychological Association, and the American Sociological Association. He also serves on the Board of Visitors for the Tift College of Education at Mercer University.
Braden Wilson, MA, 2024 South Carolina Teacher of the Year
The beauty of history and civics is that it's ingrained into every other part of our life - It only makes sense that our lessons and assessments take advantage of that, and engage every learner in a creative and authentic way.
Braden Wilson was a Teacher Cadet before attending Anderson University as a Teaching Fellow, where she was named the 2014 Social Studies Teacher Candidate of the Year. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Social Studies Education from Anderson University, as well as middle grades certification from Clemson University. In 2019, she obtained a Master’s degree in Teacher Leadership from Walden University. She also holds a Master’s degree in Administration and Supervision from Anderson University, which she received in 2023.
In the classroom, she has taught a variety of social studies courses, including psychology, sociology, government, economics, law education, and a multitude of history courses to students ranging from 7th through 12th grade. She is now in her eleventh year of education, teaching South Carolina history to 8th grade students at Palmetto Middle School in Anderson School District One. In the Spring of 2024, Braden was named the South Carolina Teacher of the Year. In this role, she is currently serving as a roving ambassador for the teaching profession and chair of the state's Teacher Forum.
Dr. Brittany L. Jones, 2024 National Council for the Social Studies Larry Metcalf Exemplary Dissertation Awardee
We have to be able to feel, before we can grow.
Dr. Brittany L. Jones is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Learning and Instruction at the University at Buffalo. Her research focuses on anti-racist social studies education, with an emphasis on how the intersection of race and emotions shapes the teaching and learning of history, as well as expansive notion of civic education. Using critical discourse approaches, her work also explores how emotions are represented in social studies curricula and how discursive labels inform social studies research and practice.
Thea Tully, 2024 National Council for the Social Studies Middle Level Teacher of the Year
America’s public schools are the nurseries of democracy. Our representative democracy only works if we protect the ‘marketplace of ideas.’” — Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L., U.S. Supreme Court. I enjoy engaging students in civic action and real-world issues. By connecting civics education to their lives and communities, students gain the knowledge and skills needed to become informed and active citizens.
Thea Tully is an enthusiastic social studies educator dedicated to engaging students in civic learning through interactive and meaningful experiences. She continually develops immersive opportunities that help students understand civics by integrating technology, real-world connections, and hands-on learning while emphasizing historical context. Thea is the recipient of the 2024 National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Middle Level Teacher of the Year and served as an advisor for the Senate Simulation (SIM) programs at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the US Senate from 2021 to 2023.
She has shared her expertise at conferences, including Massachusetts Computer Using Educators (MassCUE) in 2022, the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) in 2022 (Race to the Presidency simulation), and the Nashoba Regional School District Fair. Thea has been an eighth-grade social studies teacher at the Florence Sawyer School in Bolton, Massachusetts for more than 30 years.