First Amendment Academy: Free Quizzes and Courses to Share with Library Patrons

ALA Public Programs Office

Sep 24, 2025

This ALA article is part of a paid endorsement by Freedom Forum, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt private foundation.

Though the First Amendment of the US Constitution is critical to every American’s life, fewer than 10% can name all five freedoms that it was written to protect — and 25% of Americans can’t name even one freedom. The First Amendment ensures that we can set our own values, express ourselves openly on any topic we want without fear of government control or punishment, and join with others to make our views known and spur change.

Freedom Forum is one of the nation's leading voices on the First Amendment and the five freedoms it protects. Its vision is an America where everyone knows, values and defends the freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition.

To help achieve this vision, they created the First Amendment Academy, a free, ready-to-use resource that your library can share year-round or incorporate into civic programming leading up to the United States Semiquincentennial in 2026. The free quizzes and courses are designed to be interactive and easy to adapt for different age groups.

How can I use the First Amendment Academy in my library?

There are countless ways to incorporate the First Amendment Academy into your library’s programs, services and communities. Here are just a handful of ideas:

Share the quizzes on your library’s social media, newsletter, and/or website. Invite patrons to comment with their scores and discuss any answers that surprised them.
Set up a computer station where patrons can take the quizzes and courses on First Amendment Day (September 25) or any day.
Add the links to your library’s website or newsletter, or print the quizzes for a paper-based passive activity.
Include the materials in your library’s civics LibGuide or reference materials.
Use the quizzes as part of teen/tween civic engagement programming.

Quizzes

Short, fun and great for sparking further discussion. The quizzes have a leaderboard feature for friendly competition (this could be a great way to engage the tweens/teens at your library). Some examples include:

Is This Actually a First Amendment Violation? — Spot real vs. imagined rights violations.
Misinformation: Protected by the First Amendment? — Test your knowledge of where free speech ends and harm begins.
How Much Do You Know About Free Speech at School? — Explore the real-life cases that shape student rights.

Courses

The self-paced 10–20-minute modules, created by Freedom Forum and hosted by Arizona State University, let participants explore the five freedoms more deeply and earn up to five digital badges for completion. To access these courses, you will be asked to create an ASU CareerCatalyst account with your name and email address. There is no cost to registering or to taking any of the courses.

Each freedom has its own three-course series:

Freedom of Religion — What it means, the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise of Religion.
Freedom of Speech — What it means, its limits and how it applies in schools and online.
Freedom of the Press — What it means, the role of the press in democracy and challenges for the modern press.
Freedom of Assembly — What it means, historic protest movements and modern demonstrations.
Freedom to Petition — What it means, petitions that changed America and petitions in the digital age.

Whether you’re building a civic engagement series, looking for quick interactive activities or planning ahead for 2026, the First Amendment Academy is a resource worth bookmarking.

For more, visit the First Amendment Academy website.