Phoenix Middle School to compete in civics competition
MADISON, May 31, 2002 - Two teams of students from
Phoenix Middle School in Delavan-Darien will compete in the "We the
People...Project Citizen" statewide competition this weekend. The
students spent a semester studying a public policy issue and developed
an implementation plan under the direction of their teacher Tammy
Fumall. The students will be judged on their creative efforts in
researching and devising solutions to the following issues:
- Sleep Deprivation Realizing that a lack of sleep
negatively affects their schoolwork, this group of students recommended
changing their school's starting time to 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. The team also
hoped to encourage school officials to implement a "sleep-education"
program that would educate teens on the benefits of getting a good
night's sleep.
- Teen Smoking According to recent surveys, 30
percent of seventh and eighth grade students either smoke on a regular
basis, or have tried the unhealthy habit at least once. Based on that
information, the students suggested that making improvements to the
school's Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program was the best way
to reduce teen tobacco use.
Project Citizen is a civic education program for middle school
students to promote competent and responsible participation in state and
local government. The students' final product is a large portfolio
displaying their work.
"The caliber of this year's entries clearly demonstrates that the
students successfully worked together to find innovative solutions to
societal problems," said retired teacher Jack Jarmes, state coordinator
for Project Citizen." "I can't think of a better way to teach kids about
the inner workings of state and local government."
The competition, to be held at State Bar Center in Madison on June 1,
is sponsored by the Wisconsin Law Foundation, the State Bar of
Wisconsin, the Center for Civic Education, the National Conference of
State Legislatures and the U.S. Department of Education. A panel of 16
judges - including attorneys, legislative staff, government leaders and
retired teachers - will score the entries based on completeness,
clarity, and graphics. The winner of the state competition will compete
in the national tournament in Denver in July.
For more information on other State Bar law-related education
efforts, visit www.legalexplorer.com/education,
or contact Dee Runaas at (800) 444-9404, ext. 6191.
The State Bar of Wisconsin is the mandatory professional association,
created by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, for attorneys who hold a law
license in Wisconsin. With more than 20,000 members, the State Bar aids
the courts in improving the administration of justice, provides
continuing legal education for its members, and assists Wisconsin
lawyers in carrying out initiatives to educate the public about the
legal system.
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