Kentucky Wesleyan College has launched the Center for American Civics, an initiative designed to strengthen civic education and engagement on campus and in the broader community. The interdisciplinary center will serve as a hub for civic learning, public discourse, and community partnerships, blending academic programming with practical outreach.
The college said the center reflects KWC’s mission to prepare students for thoughtful civic leadership by emphasizing America’s heritage and constitutional principles.
“Kentucky Wesleyan has always prepared leaders — men and women who think critically and go on to serve their communities and the cause of democracy,” said KWC President James Cousins. “We believe that civic education is not optional; it is essential for our democracy and, as such, it is a cornerstone of a liberal arts degree. The Center for American Civics will carry that mission into public spaces, giving our students and our community a place to engage with the Constitution, our history, and the great American experiment.”
Daniele L. Celano has been named the inaugural director. She is completing her Ph.D. in history at the University of Virginia, specializing in 19th-century American legal history with a focus on federalism, civil rights, and governmental powers.
“I am incredibly excited to begin work with the Center for American Civics, which seeks to raise civic literacy among students and the broader public alike by fostering a shared intellectual community rooted in research and civil discourse,” Celano said.
Celano’s doctoral research explores Civil War-era law in Kentucky, specifically how emancipation was carried out through legal channels. She brings extensive teaching and public history experience, having taught at both the college and high school levels, served as an editorial specialist with the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, and earned multiple research fellowships.
The center’s inaugural year will include a history roundtable, Constitution Day programming, a public speaker series, and a civics blog. It will also host the National History Day Region 2 competition in February, bringing middle and high school students to campus to present historical research projects.
Through these initiatives, the Center for American Civics aims to promote civic literacy, encourage dialogue, and build connections between Kentucky Wesleyan College and the wider community.
