Celebrate Freedom Week

WV State Code §18-2-9 requires county boards of education to establish a full week of classes to be recognized as “Celebrate Freedom Week” during the regular school year.

Celebrate Freedom Week must include appropriate instruction in each social studies class. This can be done by:

• Including an in-depth study of the intent, meaning, and importance of the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Constitution of the United States with an emphasis on the Bill of Rights
• Using the historical, political, and social environments surrounding each document at the time of its initial passage or ratification
• Including the study of historical documents to firmly establish the historical background leading to the establishment of the provisions of the Constitution and Bill of Rights by the founding fathers for the purposes of safeguarding our Constitutional republic.

The requirements of this subsection are applicable to all public, private, parochial and denominational schools located within this state. Nothing in this subsection creates a standard or requirement subject to state accountability measures. To help educators select resources that address both the requirements of the bill and the West Virginia College- and Career-Readiness Standards (CCRS) in social studies, the Office of Teaching and Learning has prepared the following document that includes both the related CCRS by grade and a brief list of useful resources.

Please note that:

• Only some of the resources available.
• Resources are provided for educators’ convenience.

They are not to be construed as curriculum, nor should they be considered as required in any sense.

View and download Freedom Week resources for the 2025-2026 school year.