Virtual School Programs

On weekdays during the school year, the Library's Department of Education and Public Programs offers a variety of structured programs for elementary, middle, and high school classes in a virtual setting free of charge. These programs are 45 minutes to one hour in length, and are limited to 50 students per program. Programs require a minimum of 15 students. 

The Library also offers onsite guided museum programs on weekday mornings. Learn more about onsite School Visits for your classroom today.


Elementary School Groups 

To explore booking an elementary school virtual program, please fill out a reservation interest form.

 John F. Kennedy: Family, Courage, and Service  

Duration: 1 hour  |  Grades 3-5

This interactive, biography-based program introduces elementary students to the life and legacy of John F. Kennedy using archival material from the collections of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. In a follow-up activity, students consider the quote “Ask not what your country can do for you…” and create an illustration that shows how they are helping their family, neighborhood, school, or community. (This program is provided free of charge.)

Civil Rights, Civic Action

Duration: 1 hour  |  Grades 3-5

This program helps students make connections between the organized nonviolent actions of the civil rights movement and civic action for justice today. By examining photographs of less well-known civil rights activists and learning how they used the tools of democracy to fight for justice and equality, students discover what led President Kennedy to deliver his Televised Address on Civil Rights. In a final activity, students reflect on a local, national, or international issue of concern and identify a civic action they can take to help address it. (This program is provided free of charge.)

Presidential Campaigns and Elections

Duration: 1 hour  |  Grades 4-5

From launching a campaign to taking the oath of office, students learn about the process of running for the office of presidency of the United States. They use visual information including current photographs and archival film footage to examine the electoral process and discuss what voters need to consider when selecting a candidate. Following the program, students can follow JFK’s journey to the White House by using information gleaned from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum website and an Election 1960 game board. (This program is provided free of charge.)


Virtual "Civics for All of US" Programming for Elementary School Students 

Civics for All of US is a new national civic education initiative from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, the Center for Legislative Archives and the National Archives that promotes civic literacy  and engagement. Learn more about this programming and how to register.

The Constitution Rules! for Grades K-2 

In this 30-minute program, students will explore the idea of different responsibilities in their community and analyze images that highlight the jobs of the three branches of government as outlined in the Constitution. (This program is provided free of charge.)

Make Your Voice Count: Learning about the First Amendment for Grades K-2

In this 30-minute program, students learn what rights are, explore the First Amendment using photographs and short written documents, and discover how to exercise those freedoms. (This program is provided free of charge.)

The Constitution and Our Community for Grades 3-5 

In this 45-minute program, students will explore the idea of community, hone their primary source analysis skills by examining government records, and connect the Constitution to their own lives. (This program is provided free of charge.)

The First Amendment: Five Rights in One for Grades 3-5

In this 45-minute program, students will explore the First Amendment freedoms established in the Bill of Rights, identify examples in photographs and short written documents, and discover how to exercise those freedoms. (This program is provided free of charge.)


Middle School Groups 

To explore booking a middle school virtual program, please fill out a reservation interest form.

"The Most Powerful and Precious Right": Ensuring the Right to Vote Past and Present 

Duration: 1 hour | Grades 6-8

This program introduces students to the importance of voting and the struggle for voting rights, past and present. Students examine primary source material -- documents, photographs, and video -- to learn about racial discrimination in voting during the Kennedy years and strategies that public officials, activists, and everyday citizens used to address it. The program also explores voting rights today and actions students can take to protect this “most powerful and precious right” for everyone. (This program is provided free of charge.)

Leadership for the 60s

Duration: 1 hour | Grades 6-8

What makes a president an effective leader? This interactive program invites students to explore the challenges John F. Kennedy faced as the nation's leader during a tumultuous time in United States history. Through an analysis of objects, photographs, and documents from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum students, will consider how the thirty-fifth president tackled complex issues such as civil rights, Space exploration, and Cold War tensions. (This program is on hiatus.)


High School Groups 

The following programs are currently on hiatus. Please fill out this form and you will be contacted as soon as the program is available.

Approaching a DBQ: A Workshop for APUSH Students

Duration: 1 hour  |  Grades 10-12

Students learn tactics for answering a document-based question similar to those on the AP U.S. History exam using documents from the Kennedy Library archives. Though emphasis is placed on developing strategies for document analysis, we also provide students with an introduction to the content they will need to answer the question. (This program is currently on hiatus.)

Civil Rights Confrontations: 1960-1963

Duration: 45 minutes - 1 hour  |  Grades 9-12

Appropriate for students in both US history and government classes, this program focuses on the integration of the University of Mississippi (1962). Students examine the event from personal and political lenses through the actions of James Meredith who integrated the school and the strategies of Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett and President Kennedy. (This program is currently on hiatus.)

The Cold War Heats Up

Duration: 45 minutes - 1 hour  |  Grades 9-12

How did the Cold War impact the politics and people of the early 1960s? This program focuses on confrontations between the US and the Soviet Union over Berlin and the accompanying threat of nuclear war. (This program is currently on hiatus.)

But Where are the Books?: Exploring a Library that is not a Library

Duration: 45 minutes - 1 hour  |  Grades 9-12

Why do archives matter? If you were creating a museum about Kennedy and his administration, what would you put in it? What kind of work is done at an archive and a museum? In this virtual program, students consider how history is constructed as they learn about the holdings and work of the Kennedy Library. (This program is currently on hiatus.)

The Rhetoric Surrounding Civil Rights in the Early 1960s

Duration: 50 minutes - 1 hour  |  Grades 9-12

Students analyze the rhetoric surrounding civil rights in the early 1960s, focusing on a speech by Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett, a section from Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail, and President Kennedy’s June 11, 1963 speech on civil rights. (This program is currently on hiatus.)