Author and speaker, Paul Engel, has spent more than 20 years studying and teaching about both the Bible and the U.S. Constitution. That experience helps Paul explain difficult concepts in a way most people can understand. As one manager described it,
“Paul can take the most complex idea and explain it in a way my grandmother can understand.” Freely admitting that he “learned more about our Constitution from School House Rock (a Saturday morning cartoon) than in 12 years of school”, he says that anyone can be a constitutional scholar.
As part of The Constitution Study’s mission to help Everyday Americans read and study the Constitution, and to teach the rising generation to be free, Paul travels the country speaking to groups and teaching classes based on our country’s original founding documents. He has also established The Constitution Scholars program, to help those who are interested in learning and teaching about the constitutions of the Several States and the United States, to help them find each other, and to give them a place to both learn and share what they have learned.
Contact info:
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://constitutionstudy.com
Media Kit: https://constitutionstudy.com/the-constitution-study-media-kit/
Workshop Sessions
Introduction to the Constitution: This is a simple introduction to the supreme law of the land. You’ll not only learn some of the basics about the Constitution, but why it is important that everyone reads and studies it. Best of all, this class comes in a nice bite-sized chunk.
What is the Constitution and why does it matter?: We all know we have a Constitution, but have you ever thought about what the document really is? Have you considered what it does and how it does it? In this class we’ll take a look at what our Founding Fathers created in 1787 and how it should impact our lives today. This basic understanding of Constitutional principles will help you further study this most unique founding document.
Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, and the Constitution: We’ve all heard the song “School Days”, where we learned about the three “R’s”. As Santayana said “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” With most current textbooks teaching very little about our founding documents, we risk more than just repeating history, we risk loosing the knowledge of how to be the land of the free and the home of the brave.
In this class, we’ll look at why studying the Constitution is so critical if we want to live as free citizens. I’ll show you parts of the Constitution you probably won’t see in your textbooks, and how that information can be used to defend and assert your rights. I will also show you how you can include a meaningful study of the Constitution in your curriculum, one that is appropriate for all ages and all budgets.
Presidential Elections and the Electoral College: There are those in America who are disassembling the republic. While they may have good intentions, their attempts to convert our nation from a republic to a democracy will not only destroy the republic, but doom us, our children, and their children to a fate similar to the French Revolution of 1789. The latest attempt at this is to abolishing the “Electoral College”. Often promoted as a move toward freedom and democracy, this move would actually move us toward the tyranny of the urban centers over the rest of the nation.
In this talk, we will discuss the process for electing a President that our Founding Fathers established in the Constitution, why they did it, and what you can expect if the move to abolish the “Electoral College” succeeds.
Declaring Independence: If you really want to understand the Constitution, you should start with the Declaration of Independence. Our Founding Fathers did not wake up one day and decide to declare independence. There were many reasons why we separated from Great Britain, most of which Americans are unaware of. In this lesson we will take a brief look at the history of the Declaration, why we declared independence, and what was actually created back in 1776.
Three Branches of Government: We’ve all heard about “checks and balances” and how the three branches of the federal government are supposed to interact. But did you know that much of what you were taught in school may not be true? In this class we will look at the three branches of government, what their roles and responsibilities are, and how they are supposed to interact to protect us from abuses.
The Bill of Rights:Some of our most cherished freedoms are protect by the Bill of Rights. Yet in an annual survey, between 30%-40% of Americans cannot name a single freedom protect by the First Amendment.
In this class we will learn what a right is, the history behind why we have a Bill of Rights, and how it was designed to protect our freedoms.
Understanding Freedom of Speech & Press: Two of our most cherished freedoms are under attack. In this class we will look at our freedoms of speech and press, where they are protected, and whether or not you can yell “FIRE” in a crowded theater or post what you want on the Internet without government interference.
What is a Right?: There is a lot of talk today about “rights”. But as Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride said, “You keep using that word. I don’t think it means what you think it means.”
In this session, we’ll cut through the rhetoric and hyperbole, investigate the definition of a right, look at the different types of rights along with when and how we can legitimately exercise our rights. Then, time permitting, you’ll have the chance to discuss different rights claims with others.
Three Myths about the Constitution: Studies show that between 30-40% of Americans cannot name a single freedom protect by the First Amendment. Worse, a quick look around shows that most Americans not only know little about the Constitution, but a lot of what they do “know” to be true is actually false. How can we be a land of the free if nobody knows what our freedoms are? How can we claim to be a land of laws when so few know what the supreme law of the land is? How can you know if your government is doing a good job if you don’t know even know what it’s supposed to be doing in the first place?
Join me and we’ll look at some of the background behind our ignorance of the Constitution. We’ll also look at three things you probably know to be true that aren’t. Not only will your eyes be opened, but we’ll have some fun doing it.
References
North Dakota Constitution Primer
Dustin Amundson (701) 425-3603
Vanderbilt University Young Americans for Liberty
Grace Cancelmo [email protected]
Testimonials
I brought Paul Engel to North Dakota to be a key note speaker at an event for middle schoolers. One of my concerns was not being able to keep them attentive through the entire event.
Paul knocked the ball out of the park. The kids were engaged the entire time. Paul has a teachers heart and an ability to explain things in a way that is easy to understand.
Dustin Amundson
Event Coordinator
North Dakota Constitution Primer
Mr. Engel has spoken to Vanderbilt’s YAL (Young Americans for Liberty) chapter twice, and each time he brought new and insightful material to share and discuss with us. He is one of our favorite speakers to have as he encourages learning and is always very interactive and sincere in his delivery.
Grace Cancelmo
Chapter Leader
Young Americans for Liberty – Vanderbilt Chapter
The Constitution Study is one of my most highly recommended Constitutional Education sources available.
Paul Engel is capable of breaking down the intent behind the Constitution in a very simple yet well articulated way that is easy to understand for the vast majority of individuals.
Jessie Rude
Executive
Constitutional Grassroots Movement