Edward M. Kennedy Institute to Honor Retiring U.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi at Annual Fundraising Dinner on November 8

BOSTON, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate (EMKI) announced today that U.S. representative and House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will receive the Edward M. Kennedy Lifetime Achievement Award from the organization at their Annual Dinner. Pelosi is the second recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors leadership and service to the nation that inspires civil discourse and bipartisan solutions. The inaugural recipient was former President Joe Biden in 2025.

Nancy Pelosi served as the 52nd Speaker of the House of Representatives, having made history in 2007 when she was elected the first woman to serve as Speaker. She made history again in January 2019 when she became the first person to regain the Speakership in more than six decades.  Pelosi continues to represent San Francisco in Congress, as she has done for 39 years.

For her lifetime of distinguished public service, Pelosi received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, and was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. After two decades of leading the House Democrats, she continues to fight For The People to lower costs, grow paychecks and create jobs as the Representative from California's 11th Congressional District.

"Speaker Pelosi is an inspiration for anyone who seeks to make their community, country and planet a little better.  Like her dear friend Senator Kennedy, she has created a legacy of leadership that mirrors his own commitment to civic service and our country," said Edward M. Kennedy Institute board co-chair, The Honorable Joseph P. Kennedy III. "We are honored to recognize the Speaker Emerita as the Institute celebrates and highlights the impact of public service and legislation, as well as creating purposeful change in our communities."

Founded by the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who earned the nickname "Lion of the Senate" through his nearly five-decade career in the U.S. Senate, the Kennedy Institute's mission is to educate the public about the unique role of the Senate in our government, while actively inspiring all Americans to keep our democracy and civic life vibrant. The Institute's annual fundraising dinner supports the organization's mission to create opportunities for the public to better understand our country's democratic processes and actively utilize skills that are used in civic participation and engagement. On-site visitor exhibits and year-round public events are complemented by robust civic education programs that more than 20,000 educators and students participate in annually. In July, EMKI facilitated a Senate-style floor debate and vote for a national AI classroom policy, created by 100 student senators representing all 50 states, during the America's Youth AI Festival.

About the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate

Founded in 2015, the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate is dedicated to educating the public about the important role of the Senate in our government, encouraging participatory democracy, invigorating civil discourse, and inspiring the next generation of citizens and leaders to engage in the civic life of their communities. Home to the only full-scale replica of the United States Senate in the world, the Kennedy Institute also facilitates experiential civic education programs that has to date served nearly 200,000 students nationally. Learn more at emkinstitute.org.

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SOURCE Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate