Colorado Civics Symposium

This August, the Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization is co-hosting the first annual Colorado Civics Symposium — a four-day undergraduate symposium on citizenship, from ancient Athens to modern Colorado. The event will bring together undergraduate students from universities across Colorado and the country for lectures, discussions, and conversations with Colorado public officials.

The symposium will be held August 3–6, 2026, at the University of Colorado System Offices in downtown Denver. It is co-hosted with the Center for the Study of Government and the Individual at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.

What Students Will Study

Over four days, students will engage with faculty from CU Boulder, UCCS, and partner institutions on topics including the purpose of politics and the virtues of citizenship, the American Founding and the Colorado Constitution, Colorado politics today, and the economic way of thinking and economic growth. The program will also feature remarks by CU President Todd Saliman and discussions with Colorado public officials and policymakers.

About the Colorado Civics Symposium

The Colorado Civics Symposium grows out of the Benson Center's commitment to civic education and the study of Western political traditions. By bringing together undergraduates from across the state and country, the symposium creates a space for serious engagement with the ideas and institutions that shape democratic life — from Aristotle's Politics to the Colorado Constitution.