| Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate | |
| Logo Upright: | 1.15 |
| Logo Alt: | Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate |
| Image Upright: | 1.15 |
| Map Type: | USA Massachusetts |
| Map Size: | 250px |
| Coordinates: | 42.3149°N -71.0354°W |
| Location: | 210 Morrissey Boulevard Columbia Point Boston, MA 02125 |
| Type: | Specialized, Historical, Biographical |
| Accreditation: | American Alliance of Museums |
| Visitors: | 62,000 visitors per year (this includes about 16,000 students)[1] |
| Founder: | Edward M. Kennedy & Victoria Reggie Kennedy |
| Architect: | Rafael Viñoly |
| Parking: | On site (no charge) |
The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate (also known as the Kennedy Institute) is a non-profit civic engagement and educational institution on Columbia Point in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, next to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum on the University of Massachusetts Boston campus. Named for long-time U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy, the institute contains a full-scale reproduction of the United States Senate Chamber, a replica of Kennedy's Washington, D.C., office, and digital exhibits. The organization includes the Kennedy Home in Hyannis Port, which was donated to the institute in 2012 as part of a "mission of educating the public about the U.S. government, invigorating public discourse, emphasizing the importance of bipartisanship, and inspiring the next generation of citizens and leaders to engage in the public square." The Kennedy Institute is, along with the Bipartisan Policy Center and the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation, a co-sponsor of The Senate Project, whose goal is, through hosting a series of Oxford-style debates between leading U.S. Senators, to reintroduce the culture of seeking common ground and bipartisan consensus that has been the essence of the Senate since it was conceived in 1789.
On March 30, 2015, the dedication ceremony for the institute was held with President and First Lady of the United States Barack and Michelle Obama, Senator Kennedy's wife Victoria Reggie Kennedy, Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, U.S. Senator John McCain from Arizona, former U.S. Senate Majority Leaders Tom Daschle from North Dakota and Trent Lott from Mississippi, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey from Massachusetts, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, former U.S. Representative Patrick J. Kennedy from Rhode Island, Connecticut State Senator Edward M. Kennedy Jr., Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, EMK Institute President and former interim chancellor of UMass Boston Jean F. MacCormack, and many others in attendance.[2] [3] On the following day, the institute opened to the public.[4]
The building houses the only full-scale reproduction of the United States Senate Chamber.[5] Visitors are encouraged to explore the space with the help of exhibit interpreters and participate in the institute's signature daily programs, such as Today's Vote and Great Senate Debates.[6]
The exhibit halls feature technology-driven projected displays[7] that immerse visitors in the history of the Senate through exhibits such as What is the Senate?, Traditions of the Senate, and People of the Senate.[8] In addition, the halls include interactive exhibits, such as How a Bill Becomes a Law, where visitors work together to negotiate and select ice cream sundae toppings, vote on bills, override vetoes, and practice the skills needed to guide legislation through Congress.[9]
This exhibit features a full-scale replica of Senator Kennedy's Washington, D.C., office, where visitors, equipped with provided tablets, are able to explore the stories behind pieces of the collection.[10]
The institute offers a series of public programs and special events hosted in Boston and Washington, D.C., on local and national issues. These programs are open to the public.[11]
The Getting to the Point series convenes individuals with diverse perspectives to discuss current issues and the challenges the United States government is facing. Getting to the Point takes on various formats from town halls to keynote lectures and panel discussions, and showcases speakers from all walks of life. Since opening, the institute has hosted a variety of speakers ranging from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell[12] and Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer[13] to the late Congressman John Lewis[14] and Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martínez.[15]
This series brings together government leaders with disparate ideologies, from different political parties who are collaborating on a common cause. In moderated discussions, Across the Aisle highlights the type of civil discourse, negotiation, collaboration, and leadership that leads to solutions for pressing problems. The series features members of Congress, governors, mayors, and other elected officials and both national and local issues.[16]
The Edward M. Kennedy Oral History Project, created in partnership with the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, was released in September 2015.[17] The project is a compilation of interviews from current and former members of the Senate, House, administration officials, foreign leaders, Senate staff, issue advocates, journalists, family, and friends documenting Senator Kennedy's service. The institute has hosted a speaker series[18] that draws on this resource to highlight current and future national issues before the U.S. Senate.
The Kennedy Institute offers a comprehensive set of non-partisan civic education classes and programs for students in grades K-12, as well as for college and graduate students and lifelong learners in adult-education classes. Programs are available both in-person at the institute's facility on Columbia Point in Boston, taking full advantage of its unique full-scale replica of the United States Senate chamber, and also as online. The Kennedy Institute's programs are suitable for social studies, government, civics, and American History classes.[19]
The Kennedy Institute offers its online programming at varied times as a way to maximize access to its civic education offerings for students from other states.[20]
The institute's facility is a 68,000 square foot (6,317 m2) building designed by Rafael Viñoly, targeting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) specifications for sustainable building.[21] The centerpiece of the institute is a full-scale recreation of the Senate Chamber. The halls lining the Chamber are known as the Chamber Surround, and feature the majority of the institute's exhibits. The institute also features a replica of Senator Kennedy's Washington, D.C., office, a Special Exhibits gallery, an Orientation Theater, and three technologically equipped studios for educational programs and breakout sessions. The institute also includes a café, a gift shop, and a coat check.
The institute is located on Columbia Point in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The institute is on the campus of the University of Massachusetts Boston, adjacent to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, and next door to the Massachusetts Archives and Commonwealth Museum. The institute can be reached from nearby Interstate 93 or by taking the Red Line or the Commuter Rail to JFK/UMass station and boarding the free shuttle bus (#1) that drops off in front of the institute.
The institute's concept, design, and production are the result of a collaboration between Senator Edward M. Kennedy, his wife Vicki Reggie Kennedy, and Ed Schlossberg of ESI Design.[22] During the production process, Control Group was brought on for software development, Richard Lewis Media Group for media elements, Electrosonic for projection technology, and Gigantic Mechanic for game mechanics.[23]
A groundbreaking ceremony was held on April 8, 2011.[24] The institute was dedicated by President Barack Obama on March 30, 2015, with Vice President Joe Biden and First Lady Michelle Obama in attendance.[25] The institute opened to the public on March 31, 2015.[26]
The cost of the institution was $78 million in 2011, with $38 million in federal funding and a $60 million endowment that helps to pay for the $10–12 million annual operating budget of the institute.
Adam G. Hinds, a former Massachusetts state senator and former United Nations negotiator based in the Middle East, became CEO of the Kennedy Institute in September 2022.[27] Sue Heilman served as Interim Executive Director from March 2020 through September 2022.[28]
The institute was previously led by Dr. Jean F. MacCormack from 2014 to 2017,[29] Andrew Tarsy from 2012 to 2014,[30] and Peter Meade from 2009 to 2012.[31] It was announced on November 4, 2019, "with mixed emotions" that the institute's president, Mary K. Grant, Ph.D., who only assumed leadership in 2018[32] would be leaving within the month.
In 2012, the Kennedy family donated the main house of the historic Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port to the institute fulfilling a promise made by Senator Kennedy to his mother, Rose, to donate the house for charitable use.[33] The institute announced that it hopes to use the house to host educational seminars and other forums, and that it eventually plans to open it to visitation by the public.[34]