(Hartford, CT) — The Connecticut Democracy Center (CTDC) is pleased to announce the winners of their state We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution Competition held on February 3 at the Watson Center at Yale University in New Haven. The competition simulates congressional hearings in which students prepare oral testimony to be presented before a panel of judges. Trumbull High School and Staples High School from Westport tied for first place. Greenwich High School took third place, with Wilbur Cross High School of New Haven, earning Honorable Mention.
The program, designed for secondary school students, promotes a greater understanding of our constitutional democracy, its institutions, and its fundamental principles and values. The Westport team was led by Suzanne Kammerman, an AP teacher of United States Government and Politics at Staples High School. Kammerman, an alumna of the We The People program herself, was a Shelton High School team member in 1993. Kathleen Boland, an American Government and Constitutional Studies AP teacher, led the Trumbull team. Her class placed 10th out of 47 teams at the national competition two years ago.
“Congratulations to all the students who participated in the We The People competition,” says Rebecca Taber, Director of Secondary Education Programs for the Connecticut Democracy Center. “We are excited to expand our civics programming to include We The People. We were so impressed with how well students performed during the competition. We look forward to collaborating with more educators and getting more schools in Connecticut involved! “
Educators who enroll a class are provided a curriculum produced by the Center for Civic Education, which helps students develop the skills needed to become effective and responsible citizens. Lesson plans help students understand how to use democratic processes to make decisions and manage public and private conflicts. The curriculum builds around civic values and concepts fundamental to the theory and practice of democratic citizenship in the United States.
The simulated hearings at the statewide competition provide a built-in authentic performance assessment, allowing Connecticut students to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles. Students can evaluate, take, and defend positions on relevant historical and contemporary issues.
Students who compete act as expert witnesses and “testify” their constitutional knowledge to a panel of adult volunteers from the community acting as judges. Judges are responsible for hearing student presentations, asking follow-up questions, and offering feedback. The winners of the CTDC state competition are now eligible to participate in the We The People National Finals in Washington, D.C., where the top qualifying teams from across the country will come to compete in April.
The fundamental hypothesis of the We the People curriculum is that education can increase a person’s capacity and inclination to act knowledgeably, effectively, and responsibly. It follows that educational institutions must help students improve their capacity to make intelligent choices for themselves—to learn how to think rather than what to think.
For more information about the We The People program, visit www.ctdemocracycenter.org.
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The Connecticut Democracy Center (CTDC) provides people with a lifetime pathway to active citizenship and the tools to take civic action in their own communities. Complimented and augmented by independent initiatives including CT-N, Connecticut’s Old State House, Connecticut History Day, We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution, Connecticut Democracy Center Debate Tournament, and Connecticut’s Kid Governor®, The CTDC envisions a society where everyone is empowered to participate in our democracy. Learn more by visiting ctdemocracycenter.org and engaging on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.
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