South Georgia Technical College recently celebrated Constitution Day, a national holiday occurring each year on September 17 to commemorate the signing of the United States Constitution by the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention on September 17, 1787.
To celebrate the day Josh Curtin, Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs at SGTC, distributed free pamphlets containing the full text of the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence as well as commemorative bookmarks and “Constitution Cupcakes” with red, white, or blue icing. Students were also provided the opportunity to learn more about the voter registration process.
Each educational institution in the United States that receives federal funding must observe Constitution Day and Citizenship Day each year on September 17th (or the week before or after when September 17th falls on a weekend). The holiday was adopted to encourage increased education of the American people in citizenship, civics, and the United States Constitution.
Constitution Day was first observed in Iowa in 1911, and in 1917, the Sons of the American Revolution formed a committee to promote Constitution Day. The committee would include members such as Calvin Coolidge, John D. Rockefeller, and General John Pershing.
The Constitution sets forth the organization of the United States government, including the separation of powers between the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. This document remains the foundation of our government, and still stands today as the model for democratic governments around the world.