Summer Institute allows government teachers to connect with, learn from Missouri lawyers

The Missouri Bar is committed to ensuring that all Missourians have access to ongoing civics education. One way this goal is accomplished is through professional development training for teachers. 

Each year, The Missouri Bar’s citizenship education department hosts a dynamic training program for educators specializing in American history, government, and civics. This year's Summer Institute, held July 21-23, explored free expression in the 21st century, specifically social media and how it relates to the Constitution.  

Thirty-four teachers from across the state attended the program, allowing them to connect with and learn from lawyers who work with the laws and topics they’re exploring. 

“I think it’s really cool to be able to talk with them …” said first-time attendee Matthew Heidger, of Eugene High School. “Getting to hear how it [the law] is used in everyday practices or how they apply it to their lives is great to hear. And it's fun to be able to take that information to relay back to the kids.” 

Heidger also praised the lawyers and presenters for communicating the information in a way that they could understand. 

“Continuously teaching and articulating the information in different ways is great for us to pick up on and learn and be able to teach our students,” Heidger said. 

Koki Sabatés, a member of the 2024-2025 Missouri Bar Leadership Academy class, helped with the institute and participated in a panel discussing the real-world dimensions of social media. For her, the best part was seeing the teachers’ dedication to learning complicated information and taking that back to their students. 

“There are folks way smarter than me that spend their entire lives dedicated to researching and understanding [these topics],” Sabatés said. “So, the fact that [the teachers] were here, learning these things, taking all this information and digesting it was incredible and extremely impressive and just shows a lot of dedication.” 

She views this opportunity as a way to give back to the community and encourages other lawyers to do the same. 

Lawyers interested in helping with civics education and teacher outreach should contact The Missouri Bar’s citizenship education department at CitizenshipEducation@mobar.org. 

Stay informed about upcoming educational training and access valuable teacher resources offered by The Missouri Bar Citizenship Education program at MissouriLawyersHelp.org.  

View more photos from the three-day event here.