Printing Industry Helps Bring Pocket Constitutions to Classrooms

When Justin Goldstein joined The Bill of Rights Institute (BRI) nearly a year ago as director of corporate relations, he discovered that the organization needed financial help producing its “Pocket Constitutions” for classrooms. The organization, which works with civics teachers across the country, had been providing the 54-page, 3x5" booklets to high school classrooms for free with the help of funds donated to the nonprofit, nonpartisan educational association. Having been involved with printing industry associations for several years, Goldstein had the idea to reach out to print service providers (PSPs) across the country to see if they could help.

“I started cold calling printers around the country,” he explains. “It’s a tax-deductible opportunity where they can donate as many Pocket Constitutions as they want. So for every 100 Pocket Constitutions they print, that helps one classroom.”

The organization provides PSPs with the print file, which includes the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights. The PSP can then insert its logo and any other information about the company on the inside cover. Goldstein points to one PSP in Minnesota that produced 25,000 Pocket Constitutions for the state. On the inside cover, it included a write-up about working for the company and about working in the graphic arts industry.

“We want to promote print,” he says. “We want to promote careers in the graphic arts to these high school students — ages 13 to 19 — and [promote] what our founding documents are. ... It’s a pocket companion, but this is also an opportunity for the graphic arts industry to
actively engage with a captive audience of kids.”

Goldstein says that, on average, he has had companies donate 15,000 to 25,000 Pocket Constitutions, with 81,000 donated to date. With help from some key printing industry suppliers that sponsor postage, PSPs can provide the booklets for schools in their city, state, or region.

“There’s no end date to it,” he says. “We’re really trying to get as many Pocket Constitutions into the hands of students by 2026, which is the 250th birthday of the United States, and because the printing industry is [part of] our history as a country. ... There’s actually a waiting list in every single state of students and teachers that have requested printed Pocket Constitutions.”

BRI currently has 77,000 teachers involved and a reach of 7.6 million students, with plans to expand. Goldstein hopes that in the future, PSPs might be interested in providing Pocket Constitutions for multiple states. If any PSPs are interested in getting involved, they can contact him directly at 412-266-2098 or email him at jgoldstein@mybri.org.