May 2019 Newsletter

News from the Center for Civic Education

We the People National Finals and National Invitational Held in Washington, D.C., and More in This Month's Newsletter.


Denver East High School Places First in We the People National Finals

Denver East High School Places First in We the People National Finals

More than a thousand We the People students took part in the We the People national competitions this April and May, impressing panels of judges with their knowledge of the Constitution and applying constitutional principles in their lives. Denver East High School captured the championship at the National Finals, and Miami Lakes Middle School placed first at the National Invitational. Guest speaker John Tinker said at the awards ceremony, "Meeting so many of you, it's given me a great deal of confidence that we can be optimistic that there might be solutions out there, and that you all are going to help to find them."


Margaret Stimmann Branson

In Memoriam: Margaret Stimmann Branson

Long-serving Center for Civic Education associate director, Dr. Margaret Branson, passed away on Wednesday, May 15. Margaret Branson made remarkable contributions to civic education in the United States and throughout the world.


American Judges Foundation Makes Major Donation to Support Civic Education

American Judges Foundation Makes Major Donation to Support Civic Education

The Center for Civic Education's programs have been greatly assisted by the active involvement of judges and justices since their inception. Many judges have given countless hours and days of their personal time over the decades to help the Center to promote high-quality education for democracy, and have made significant financial donations that serve our programs.


Randi Weingarten Highlights We the People in National Press Club Speech

Randi Weingarten Highlights We the People in National Press Club Speech

The We the People program, of which Ms. Weingarten was a teacher, was the only example she cited in a recent speech in which teachers are allowed creativity and agency. As a result, she saw "powerful learning" within students. "We'd spend hours after $char_endash in teams, deciding their best arguments, practicing and polishing. We developed deep relationships with each other and a meaningful understanding of the Constitution."

Learn more.

We the People Teacher Ryan Ruttan Wins Educator of the Year Award

We the People Teacher Ryan Ruttan Wins Educator of the Year Award

Ryan Ruttan, We the People teacher from Rancho High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, won the Kiwanis Educator of the Year Award! Ruttan was nominated by Rancho High School's assistant principal for the fun and engaging ways that he inspires students, but also for his commitment to fostering deep academic and civic engagement in the classroom with the We the People program.


Quick Quiz! Tinker v. Des Moines School District was about

A. freedom of expression in school newspapers.
B. students wearing armbands to protest the Vietnam War.
C. prayer at school sporting events.
D. racial segregation at public schools.

Read on to learn the answer!


Warren Burger

Donate to the Center for Civic Education

In 1987, we developed the We the People program, and it was adopted by the Commission on the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution as the principal education program of the federal Constitution's bicentennial. It was chaired by Chief Justice Warren E. Burger. It is because of your ongoing support that we have been able to run this program since it was developed in 1987. With your continued help, we can ensure that civic education is a vital part of every student's education. Your donation to the Center for Civic Education helps us towards this goal and is tax-deductible.

Donate.

Congressman Cicilline Visits We the People Class in Rhode Island

Congressman Cicilline Visits We the People Class in Rhode Island

Before students attend the We the People National Finals or National Invitational, they spend all year preparing by studying the textbook, learning about history and current events, and practicing their answers to the hearing questions. They compete in local and state competitions. One class from North Smithfield High School in Rhode Island even had help from their congressman!

Quiz Answer!

B. students wearing armbands to protest the Vietnam War.

For more quizzes and learning opportunities, check out the 60-Second Civics podcast and daily civics quiz!


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Shop to Support the Center for Civic Education

Shopping on Amazon? Use this link to benefit We the People and the Center's other civic education programs. Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the Center for Civic Education. You pay the same price for your purchases, but you have the satisfaction of knowing you've helped students receive the high-quality civic education they deserve. Bookmark the link and keep giving all year with every purchase.

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