Events
Celebrate National Voter Registration Day at Penn
Tuesday, September 15 is National Voter Registration Day (NVRD), a nonpartisan civic holiday dedicated to encouraging participation in our democracy. The Office of Government and Community Affairs annually celebrates NVRD in coordination with Penn Leads the Vote and the Netter Center for Community Partnerships to conduct non-partisan voter registration and voter assistance with fun giveaways. To learn more about National Voter Registration Day, visit nationalvoterregistrationday.org.
On September 15, Perry World House will host historian Stacy Schiff and constitutional scholar Akhil Amar for an afternoon of storytelling and conversation about Benjamin Franklin, the Founders, the drafting of the Constitution, and Philadelphia’s central role in it all. For more information and to register, click here. After the discussion, join Perry World House, OGCA, and Penn Leads the Vote in the courtyard off Locust Walk for a Penn America 250 and National Voter Registration Day celebration featuring special performances and ice cream!
Celebrate Constitution Day at Penn
September 17 marks Constitution Day, the day that we recognize the adoption of the United States Constitution. On this date in 1787 in Philadelphia, the 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, including Benjamin Franklin, signed the Constitution in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House, now Independence Hall. September 17 is also Citizenship Day, celebrating people who have become U.S. citizens.
On September 17, from 9:30 am - 7:30 pm, the National Constitution Center will celebrate Constitution Day with free museum and event admission. As America marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, the National Constitution Center’s Constitution Day celebration will explore the connection between the Declaration’s founding ideals and the constitutional system that followed. For more information, click here.
On September 17, 2026, at 4:00 PM in Bodek Lounge, Houston Hall, the School of Arts and Sciences will host a conversation featuring Dean Mark Trodden and historian Sophia Rosenfeld on the theme of Democracy and Knowledge, exploring questions such as: What makes for a healthy democracy? Is the democratic model really in crisis today and if so, why and where? How have universities been impacted? And, what role have universities played and can they play in strengthening democracies?
OGCA will be on site distributing free pocket constitutions and mini U.S. flags! To register, click here.