Teachers

Welcome to the We the People National Invitational!

The staff of the Center for Civic Education appreciates your hard work and dedication to teaching about the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Because of your participation in the We the People program, your students will acquire the civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions neccessary to effectively participate in our constitutional democratic republic.

Every American should have the opportunity to explore and experience Washington D.C., our nation's capital. During your visit you will be provided with all of the necessary tools and resources to expose your students to learning beyond classroom walls that will enrich their lives, open their minds, and challenge them. Take advantage of this once in a lifetime experience. 

Robert S. Leming, Director
We the People Programs
Center for Civic Education

Middle school teachers, please click here to request additional information.
High school teachers, please click here to request addtioinal information.

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“This year, taking advantage of the National Invitational and having my students come down to Washington, D.C., experience the government that they’ve been studying and then being able to defend their positions before a variety of really esteemed judges, I thought was a great culminating activity for everything we’ve done”  - We the People Teacher, Rhode Island, 2014

"This event is one that I have been waiting for 10 years, ever since I started the classroom hearings. It was an awesome experience, both for my students, as well as myself. To give my students an opportunity to be part of a national competition, and experience Washington, D.C. all in the same trip, is one none of us will ever forget" - We the People Teacher, Oregon, 2013 Inaugural National Invitational

This is the third year of the National Invitational. The We the People National Finals has been successfully delivered for 27 years at the high school level, with more than 30,000 students and 1,000 teachers participating. We are pleased with our continued partnership with WorldStrides, the nation's leading educational travel organization, in the delivery of this event. 
 

When will the competition scores be available?
Scores will be emailed to teachers by the end of April. 

Hearing Rooms

Saturday and Sunday

The hearings will take place in the classroom spaces central to the George Mason University campus. Because the hearing rooms are limited in size the number of open seats depends on the class size and number of parents and visitors. Every effort will be made to ensure that parents and visitors who have come to see a particular student testify will be seated in the room during that student’s unit hearing. Parents and visitors may stand in the back of the room unless otherwise directed due to fire codes and at the discretion of the teacher, room supervisor, or Center staff. To ensure that the hearings are not interrupted, parents and visitors will be admitted to the hearing room at appropriate break times (between units) and after the judges have left the room.

Everyone is welcome to observe the hearings. However to ensure fairness, anyone affiliated with a competing class (teachers, coaches, students, chaperons, parents, friends, relatives, etc.) may not enter the hearing room of any other competing class. Once a class hearing is completed, floor supervisors and Center staff will help direct classes and visitors exit in a timely fashion.

Monday

The final round of competition will take place on Monday, April 20 at the Fairfax Marriott at Fair Oaks. Further details regarding Monday's hearings will be posted in February. 

Student Orientation Room

On Saturday and Sunday there will be a twenty-five minute briefing for all classes before the hearings begin at George Mason University. This briefing will take place in Innovation Hall, room 103. Robert Leming, Director of the We the People Programs and Mark Molli, Director of Governmental Relations will officially welcome students, teachers, parents, and visitors to the inaugural We the People National Invitational and address the students about important matters concerning the competition. Upon arrival floor supervisors and Center staff will direct students to the Orientation room. If space is available, parents and visitors are welcome. At the end of the briefing, floor supervisors and Center staff will direct classes to their hearing rooms. Once all classes have been dismissed, parents and visitors will be directed to the hearing rooms.

Awards Ceremony

The ceremony is the culminating event of the We the People National Finals. This is the time to celebrate the accomplishments of all of the students and teachers participating in the National Invitational. The event will take place in the Grand Ballroom at the Fairfax Marriott Fair Oaks. All guests are welcome to attend.