As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, conversations about the country's past are taking place in museums, at historical sites and in communities across the nation. At Michigan State University, those conversations are happening in a classroom where high school students are being encouraged not just to learn American history, but to question it, debate it and think critically about what it means to be an engaged citizen.
Inside a classroom at James Madison College, hands shot into the air as students discussed capitalism, free markets and the role government should play in society. Their opinions varied, but the conversation remained thoughtful, with students challenging one another's ideas and backing up their arguments with evidence from readings they had completed before class.
The discussion was part of the Civics Education Academy, a week-long summer program hosted by James Madison College's Academy of Civic Education.
24 high school students from across Michigan are participating in the academy, which was created through a three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The program introduces students to foundational texts in American political thought while exposing them to the college classroom experience.
Throughout the week, students attend seminars led by James Madison College faculty, participate in discussions with classmates and complete activities designed to encourage critical thinking rather than memorization.
The curriculum centers on the nation's semiquincentennial, asking students to examine the principles that gave rise to the American experiment and how those ideas continue to influence political life today.
Tobin Craig, director of the Academy of Civic Education and a professor at James Madison College, said the program grew out of a desire to strengthen civic education at a time when political polarization often dominates public conversation.
Rather than telling students what to think, Craig said the academy is designed to help them understand the ideas, institutions and debates that have shaped the United States.
"It's so gratifying to see this vision that we had come to fruition, and to see you know 24 eager, bright-eyed, politically engaged future citizens coming to MSU, to James Madison College," Craig said.
Craig said America's 250th anniversary provides a unique opportunity to invest in young people by helping them understand both the nation's history and their own role in its future.
Outside of the classroom, Craig said students will get the chance to experience activities such as participate in a Shakespeare reading group, guided tours of the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Charles Wright Museum of Civil Rights, and visiting the Michigan Capitol building to meet lawmakers.
One lesson explored Adam Smith's 1776 book, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, published the same year the Declaration of Independence was signed. The coincidence was intentional.
Brianne Wolfe, an associate professor of political theory and constitutional democracy at James Madison College, said the class is examining the major ideas that emerged during the nation's founding and asking students to evaluate them for themselves.
"For the entire two-week program, we're having students consider America at 250 and the sort of ideas that brought the American experiment to life and enduring questions and challenges with that experiment," Wolfe said.
The lesson began with a simple question: What comes to mind when you hear the word "capitalism?"
Students responded with phrases such as free trade, corporations, greed, inequality, profit maximization, individualism and limited government regulation. Wolfe wrote their responses down before introducing Adam Smith's writings, encouraging students to compare their assumptions with the philosopher's own arguments.
She said many people associate capitalism with wealth accumulation or corporate power, but Smith's work presents a more nuanced understanding centered on trade, cooperation and improving conditions for society as a whole.
To demonstrate the concept, Wolfe handed students pieces of candy.
Each student received a random assortment and was instructed to rank their preferences before trading with classmates.
As students moved around the room exchanging candy, laughter filled the classroom. When the activity ended, many students reported they were happier with what they had because they were able to trade for something they valued more.
The exercise illustrated one of Smith's central ideas, that voluntary exchange can increase value for everyone involved.
But Wolfe stressed that the activity was only the beginning of a larger conversation.
"What I wanted them to think about is to critically assess what is capitalism," she said. "What institutions does a commercial society allow? What are some potential drawbacks that we need to think about? But really, does it need to be villainized in the way that everyone does villainize it?"
She also challenged students to distinguish between Smith's original vision of a commercial society and the economic and political systems that exist today.
"Maybe what we have now is maybe a perversion," Wolfe said, referring to students' concerns about corporate influence over government. "We're really doing across a couple of weeks is to have students think for themselves about what self-government means.
What does it mean to have a free society? What does it mean to have rights? What does it mean to have trade for themselves? And break down those concepts and really think about how to apply them in their own lives, but also challenge the received wisdom about those ideas."
For Aubrey Wykes, a 17-year-old from Bath High School, those conversations have opened the door to questions she wants to continue exploring after the academy ends.
"I would definitely love to investigate the differences between capitalism and socialism and how they appear in the U.S. Because the U.S. does have some socialist programs in it, such as Social Security, and the professor's thoughts on that are just so interesting. I would love to learn more," Wykes said.
Kira Moritz, a 17-year-old from Berkeley High School, said she enjoyed how every student can freely share their thoughts and opinions in class.
“I hope I continue to learn more and continue to gain more ideas and new ideas from the people in the class,” Moritz said.
After the candy exercise, Moritz shared how it went for her and what she interpreted from the activity.
“I got the worst candy, so nobody wanted to trade with me, and it definitely was reflective of the free market and how some people have better things and how easy it is for some people to gain wealth,” Moritz said.
The academy's curriculum extends well beyond economics.
Faculty members hope exposing students to competing ideas across different periods of American history will help them understand that democracy is shaped through debate rather than consensus.
Wolfe said she has been impressed by how seriously students have approached the program.
"They had all clearly read very carefully. They had great insights," she said. "I'm excited to continue working with them throughout the week on things like the Declaration of Independence, the Declaration of Sentiments and the Rights of Women. They're reading some Martin Luther King. They're reading some Lincoln. To be able to think through great ideas and different competing ideas about what America is and what free society is."
Outside the classroom, students are also getting a taste of campus life, meeting faculty members, interacting with one another and experiencing what it means to be a Spartan.
Criag said during the application process, the group received more than 50 applications from students across Michigan. Next year and in 2028, he hopes the number of participating students increase.
“It's exciting to see that there is a real thirst or an appetite for this kind of educational opportunity, and I'm just really delighted that we're able to provide it for free to students of all means and backgrounds from across the state,” Craig said.
The Civics Education Academy will continue through 2027 and 2028 under its federal grant, giving future groups of Michigan students the opportunity to wrestle with the same enduring questions: What does it mean to live in a free society? How should democracy function? And what responsibility do citizens have in shaping the nation's next 250 years?