We the People 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.
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.
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.
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.
RECOGNITION OF THE VESTAVIA HILLS HIGH SCHOOL WE THE PEOPLE TEAM BY THE HON. SPENCER BACHUS
In the Congressional Record the Honorable Spencer Bachus of Alabama recognized the excellent students and teachers from Vestavia Hills High School in the We the People program. He noted that "the knowledge and commitment demonstrated by all of the students who take part in We the People should give us all great confidence in the future of our precious American democracy."
Brown County 8th Graders Win National We the People Middle School Competition
First they were state champions. Now they are national champs. Brown County Junior High School’s We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution team earned that distinction Monday night in Washington, D.C., after days of competition. The We the People contest gauges students’ knowledge of the U.S. Constitution and American history. In December, the eighth-graders became the school’s third group to win the state title. This was the first group from the school to go to the national competition, which hadn’t been open to middle school students in previous years.
Trumbull 'We the People' Mentor, Team Honored
Trumbull High School (Connecticut) teacher Katie Boland and her 'We the People' Team were recently honored for the team's eighth-place finish at the national competition in Washington D.C. First Selectman Tim Herbst and Town Council Vice Chair Suzanne Testani handed out awards recently in Town Hall. Herbst added that Boland was named Trumbull's Teacher of the year a Hero by the American Red Cross.
Howell 'We The People' class ends in national top 20
With final rankings just released, the We The People constitutional debate team from Howell High School (Michigan) placed 16th in the nation during the national competition held April 26-29 in Washington, D.C. Fifty-six team from throughout the U.S. competed. The team participated in overall and unit competitions, based on debate topics, with its Unit Six team taking top honors. Members included Bree Casper, Abby Harrington, Andreja Petrulis, Jonathan Reck and Nadja Grauer, an exchange student from Germany. The Unit One team posted a top 10 finish and posted the second highest score on the competition’s first day. Members included Heather Buja, Brody Kutt and Aaron Osborne. The Unit Two team placed 14th nationally.