Full course description
Course summary:
It is critical that your agency employees understand what First Amendment activities are and are not. As a member of a parks and recreation organization which manages land that could be used for assembly, demonstration, or other rights protected by the First Amendment, it is important to understand your role in protecting these rights. This course will help you understand the amendment and your role in protecting it.
Course objectives:
After completing this course, learners should be able to:
- Articulate citizens' rights and responsibilities under the First Amendment.
- Understand the history of the development of the First Amendment.
- Know the responsibility of parks and recreation agencies to protect First Amendment rights.
- Understand some reasonable limits that can be placed on First Amendment rights.
Course creators:
This course was developed by the Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands at Indiana University, with valuable input provided by the National Park Service.
Course topics include:
- What Are First Amendment Rights?
- What Is the Role of Your Agency in the First Amendment?
- Hierarchy of Authority
- What Can You Do?
- Demonstrations
- First Amendment Spaces and Protests
- Freedom of the Press
Elements of the course:
- Informational text
- Engaging video
- Interactive practice activities
- Case Studies
- Final assessment
This course is self-paced, allowing learners the flexibility to complete the course as quickly or slowly as they need.
After completing all course content and activities, you will complete a final quiz to demonstrate your understanding of key course concepts. Upon successful completion of the quiz, you will be awarded a certificate of completion.
Recommended background
This course is recommended for any employee of parks, recreation, or land management agency.
How to access:
Upon enrolling, you will receive instructions and the link to the Canvas course. Note: When you register, you will receive an email invitation. Be sure to accept that invitation, or Canvas will not allow you to open the course modules.
Enrollees can move through content modules at their own pace within the course timeframe.