Center in the News

The Constitution Comes to Life for Ohio Middle School Students
The U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights came to life when more than 300 middle school students traveled to the campus of The Ohio State University to participate in the "We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution Middle School State Showcase," a program of the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education.
Videos of Washington Students' Project Citizen Hearings
For the first time in 26 years two schools tied for first place in the Washington State Project Citizen Showcase held at the State Capitol on May 18. Videos of all of the students' hearings are available for viewing.
Indiana State Grad coaches junior high civics team to national championship
Indiana State University graduate Michael Potts couldn't have asked for a better time to become coach. Potts, a social studies teacher at Brown County Junior High School, spent the last two years working with the coach of the school's We the People team, which consists of eighth graders who learn about the U.S. Constitution and participate in state-level competitions. Potts took the helm for the 2012-2013 academic year, coaching the team to win the inaugural We the People national championship. "I think the biggest lesson they learned was work ethic," said Potts, who has also taught as an adjunct faculty member at Indiana State and Oakland City University. "Knowing that if we work hard, we put the time in, come in before school, work after school, good things will happen." It's been a busy year for Potts. Prior to the We the People team's national win, the Indiana State graduate won the school's teacher of the year award. In March, his wife gave birth to their first child.
Maryland students vie in constitution competition
Students, faculty and parents from Gerstell Academy, in Finksburg, gathered at Maryland Hall for the state We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution Competition on Feb. 20. During the nationally recognized event, run by the Center for Civic Education in Washington, D.C., students presented testimony and applied knowledge of the constitution and then participated in a period of questioning by judges, who are local businessmen and politicians. Students were required to present their testimony in a designated time frame, and then respond to the judges’ questions in a timed format. The judges posed questions designed to help the students learn the relevance and importance of the constitution in today’s society.
Project Citizen Team Presents to Global Audience
On May 2, Centennial High School students working with Nancy Clendenen presented to a global audience their Project Citizen topic Technology Equality. The team was selected to be part of the 2013 Megaconference Jr. which allowed middle and high school students from around the world to interact and share their projects. They presented their Project Citizen project on the topic of Technology Equity as a global issue. This gave the students a chance to do a global conference on a topic they are passionate about and it introduced Project Citizen to others as a way to work towards changes in public policy.
Reno High School team places in Top-20 In national We the People competition
A team of Reno High School students competing in the national We the People civics competition finished first in their unit competition and 19th out of 56 teams overall. “The Nevada Supreme Court congratulates the Reno High School students and their teacher and coach, Richard Clark, for winning the state competition and now, for their success at the national level,” said Chief Justice Kristina Pickering. “We the People is an outstanding program that fosters a better understanding of how our government works – including the Judicial Branch.” Chief Justice Pickering was a judge during the state We the People competition. The state competition has been sponsored for the past decade by the State Bar of Nevada.
Region students win top marks in We the People contest
Fifth-grade students from four Northwest Indiana schools earned top ratings in a We the People competition at the Statehouse on Friday by demonstrating their knowledge and understanding of government and the Constitution. The boys and girls spoke before panels of judges from the Indiana Bar Association about current events and how they relate to the nation's laws and founding principles. Karen Finley, a Clark Middle School teacher, said she's been amazed to watch her students get excited about government. Her class began studying the We the People civics education topics in January and practiced presentations for more than a month. "They have learned so much about the amendments, due process, civil rights and the framers of the Constitution," Finley said. "It's been extremely beneficial." During the awards ceremony, Gov. Mike Pence told the more than 350 participants from across Indiana that he was proud of their accomplishments and commitment to citizenship.
Lake Bluff Middle School Hosts Project Citizen Spring Showcase
Lake Bluff (Illinois) Middle School 8th graders will bring their Project Citizen information to the public on Tuesday, May 21. This first-ever Spring Showcase will provide an opportunity for parents and other community member to hear the results of the students’ research into local problems and to hear about the steps they have taken to bring about change in public policy. Project Citizen is a unique curriculum designed by the Center for Civic Education in the 1990s to provide hands-on experience in how government works and to encourage participation in government. Last year alone, Project Citizen was experienced by more than 300,000 students and 5,000 teachers in the United States and in other countries around the world. Project Citizen came to Lake Bluff Middle School during the 2009-2010 school year and has been a significant part of the Eighth Grade Social Studies curriculum since then. Project Citizen promises to be an important part of the middle school curriculum in the future as it aligns with the new Common Core Standards.
Idaho Humanities Council to Honor Two Teachers Using Center materials
Siena Elementary School teacher Heide Fry and Centennial High School teacher Cindy Wilson, both of whom use Center for Civic Education materials with their classes, will receive awards in May from the Idaho Humanities Council for “Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities.” The two Meridian School District teachers will be recognized because of their passion for the humanities, their ability to inspire students through their love of their subject, their innovative teaching methods, and their contributions to the teaching profession. Each teacher will receive $1,000 for personal use and $1,000 for her school to devote to improving the teaching of the humanities.
Wisconsin Sixth-graders win Project Citizen state competition for public policy work
Ben Franklin Elementary sixth-graders showed Common Council members Tuesday they know a little something about politics by presenting their plans to build a playground that would be accessible for all children, including those with disabilities. The sixth-graders' efforts were part of their involvement in Project Citizen, an international initiative that fosters civic-minded behavior. After conducting research and putting together portfolios and presentations, the group of 13 students recently won the Project Citizen state competition in Madison, having edged out middle schoolers from across Wisconsin. Under the direction of teacher Claudia Pagelsdorf, who recently won the Wisconsin Civic Education Teacher of the Year award, the sixth-graders performed surveys, formulated solutions and met with the city's Planning Commission.