News from the Center for Civic Education
Chuck Quigley Assumes New Role as Christopher R. Riano Is Appointed Executive Director, We the People National Invitational Challenge Held Online, Project Citizen Institutes to Take Place on the Web, International Partners Adopt Distance-Learning Strategies, and More in This Month's Newsletter.
Charles N. Quigley Transitions to New Role as Christopher R. Riano Is Appointed Executive Director
The Center for Civic Education's Board of Directors announced on May 1 that Executive Director Charles N. Quigley will transition to a new role as senior consultant after serving the Center since its founding as the Committee on Civic Education at the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1965. "It is with great pleasure and profound relief that after fifty-five years I am now passing along the responsibilities and tasks of being executive director of the Center to Christopher Riano, who is a gifted and entrepreneurial successor and a treasured member of our network for about ten years," said Chuck. "I will continue to assist the Center with the tasks I find most rewarding, such as the development of new programs and curricular materials. I hope that all of you who have taken part in our programs and assisted us in so many ways will welcome Christopher and join me in providing him the support he will need to further the worthy goals we have all worked together for so long to achieve."
Learn more.
Adapting to the New World of Distance-Learning, We the People National Invitational Challenge Held Online
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the We the People National Invitational Challenge took place entirely online on Saturday, May 2, with Fishers Junior High School from Indiana placing first, Sanford Middle School from Florida finishing second, and Stanley British Primary School from Colorado placing third. Students from throughout the nation testified on the principles of the U.S. Constitution using videoconferencing software, allowing them to demonstrate their hard-won expertise from the safety of home. Watch theUnit 1 team from Fishers testify, view the awards video, or read the full results.
John Hale Assumes New Position as Senior Consultant
As of January 1, John Hale stepped down from the position of associate executive director and became a senior consultant to the Center. Ever the joker, John said that "in 'semi-retirement' I've reduced my time commitment to the Center from 100% to 99%. But, seriously, as long as I'm healthy I will be working on behalf of the Center and its marvelous network of people from across the country and around the world."
Mark Molli Retires after Nearly 30 Years of Service to the Center
On March 31, Associate Director Mark Molli retired from the Center after nearly 30 years of service. Mark previously served as chief of staff for U.S. Congressman Augustus F. Hawkins, a champion for civil rights. Mark said, "the Center's staff and their network of national and international coordinators, teachers and scholars are wonderful, decent, and highly professional people that made my time with the Center a remarkable place to work."
Project Citizen Institutes Go Online This Summer
Free professional development is being offered this summer to middle and high school teachers new to the Project Citizen curricular program! The Center's regional partners in the Project Citizen Research Program, funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, will host summer institutes and academic-year follow-up PD. Regional coordinators are currently exploring online options to offer the PD virtually. To learn more about the program and contact a state coordinator to sign up, visit our webpage.
Quick Quiz! Which of the following is NOT a fundamental principle upon which the U.S. Constitution is based?
A. Natural rights philosophy
B. Divine right
C. Republican government
D. Limited government
Read on to learn the answer!
We the People Available for Free on Actively Learn until July 31
The full text of the middle and high school editions of We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution student textbooks is available for free until July 31 for teachers and their students. These customizable ebooks feature multiple-choice quizzes, free-response questions, historical images, videos, and more. Try out the ebook at no risk this summer to evaluate whether to adopt it for your blended-learning classroom in the fall.
Quiz Answer!
B. Divine right. (see episode 3980)
For more quizzes and learning opportunities, check out the 60-Second Civics podcast and daily civics quiz!
International Partners Innovate
Civitas International Programs partners in the West Bank and Gaza and Bosnia and Herzegovina are making use of distance-learning methods to bring civic education to K-12 students staying at home due to COVID-19. The Teacher Creativity Center in Ramallah is creating videos of storytellers reading the Foundations of Democracy primary-level storybooks for television and mailing books in order to reach families throughout the region, including those without internet access. Civitas BiH is exploring options for conducting online Project Citizen student showcases and teacher professional development and has created an online sample portfolio.
Discover Our Digital Resources for Civics, History, and Government Teachers
Need digital resources on civics and government? Visit our Learn.civiced.org distance-learning platform! Find free online courses based on our nationally-recognized We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution program and other civics topics. Join our Civics Forum, a space where educators can discuss everything relating to civics and government and share instructional ideas. Visit our Resources section and discover free ebooks, links to lesson plans, primary sources, and many other great resources for teaching and learning about civics and government.
Constitutional Democracy Project Now Home to Illinois We the People Program and Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago Programming
Chicago-Kent College of Law and its new Constitutional Democracy Project is now the home for most of the programming previously operated by the Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago. The Constitutional Democracy Project continues CRFC's mission of strengthening American democracy by providing high-quality, hands-on civics programs and teaching materials focused on the Constitution, law, and policy. The Constitutional Democracy Project is also the new home for the Illinois We the People program. Dee Runaas will continue to provide continuity and program expertise. Runaas served as the Wisconsin state coordinator for ten years prior to moving to Chicago. She also participated as a judge for both the Illinois and Wisconsin programs for many years.
