Matt Riffe
Candidate for Board of Directors
Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, Matt Riffe graduated from Immaculata University in 2010 with a B.A. degree in History and received a M.A. degree in History from La Salle University in 2017. His master’s thesis examined James Wilson’s democratic principles in the Constitutional Convention. Matt spent a decade working at the National Constitution Center as a Museums Programs Educator and Manager of Learning. In June 2022, he joined the Jack Miller Center, a non-profit organization that works with professors and educators to ensure every student can learn the history and principles at the heart of the American political tradition. As Manager of Donor Relations, Matt helps develop and implement outreach strategies that ensure current donors are well informed, while also engaging prospective donors in JMC’s work.
The Future of Social Studies
Social studies education is at an inflection point in our country as politics grow less informed and more divisive, along with a more intense focus on what is being taught in classrooms. The future of social studies relies on supporting educators in teaching students the proper content knowledge, intellectual skills, and civic values; and by helping students develop historical thinking and context using primary sources. By doing so, students will develop into well-informed citizens ready to participate in this democratic republic.
For a decade, I worked at the National Constitution Center as an educator and manager. I saw, firsthand, the importance of students learning and interacting with our nation’s founding principles and history, and teachers receiving the necessary support for themselves and their students through professional development and accessible educational resources.
We should all strive to live up to the National Council for Social Studies’ mission of finding equitable time for social studies instruction in the elementary curriculum and supporting professional development for social studies teachers. I am committed in helping in any way that I can to ensure the next generation of students are well-equipped to become constructive and active citizens.