May 13, 2009 – The State Bar of Wisconsin sponsors a series of law-related education (LRE) programs that help educators, students and citizens better understand our legal system and heritage. Two of these programs, Project Citizen and We the People, illustrate not only the value of educational outreach activities of this kind, but the depth of understanding that Wisconsin K-12 students derive from them.
Project Citizen
Protecting the environment, second-hand smoke, historic preservation and teen suicide were among the tough public policy issues addressed this year by Wisconsin upper elementary, middle school and high school students in the 2009 Project Citizen Portfolio and Hearing Showcase sponsored by the State Bar of Wisconsin.
Fifth graders from Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School took first place in the competition, which was held last week in Madison. Their portfolio, “Limiting Busing Helps the Environment,” will travel to the Project Citizen National Showcase this summer in Philadelphia. Ben Franklin Elementary School of Franklin was runner-up. Greendale High School, which presented an electronic presentation on global warming, finished first in the high school division.
Project Citizen is a portfolio-based civic education program that promotes participation in state and local government. Designed for students in upper elementary, middle school and high school civics education, it actively engages students in learning how to monitor and influence public policy. As a class project, students work together to identify and study a public policy issue, evaluate options, select a solution to the problem, and develop an action plan to solve the problem. The final product is a table-top or electronic portfolio summarizing these findings.
The event culminates in a simulated legislative hearing, where students discuss their projects to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of how public policy is formulated. Eighteen teams presented their portfolios at the State Capitol on Saturday, May 2. River Valley Middle School of Spring Green had the highest rating, followed by Koinonia Home School of Milwaukee.
Project Citizen is administered nationally by the Center for Civic Education in cooperation with the National Conference of State Legislatures. Locally it is administered by the State Bar of Wisconsin and is endorsed by the Wisconsin State Senate.
We the People
Effective teamwork, lots of practice and a deep understanding of public policy issues helped eighteen students from Wauwatosa West High School when they represented Wisconsin at the national We the People competition in Washington, D.C. on April 25 – 27. The team finished fifteenth out of 52 schools competing in the event and placed first in one category.
Just as importantly, notes teacher-coach Chad Mateske, the students (all juniors) returned to Wisconsin with insights and experience that they intend to apply in future competitions.
We the People, a national initiative sponsored by the Center for Civic Education, and hosted in Wisconsin by the State Bar of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Law Foundation, is designed to spur broader understanding of politics and public affairs among high school students.
During the competition students serve as expert witnesses, testifying on constitutional issues in a simulated congressional hearing. Students are scored on their opening statements and answers to follow-up questions by a panel of judges, who grade the students on understanding, constitutional application, reasoning, supporting evidence, responsiveness and participation.
The Wauwatosa West team gained valuable assistance from Atty. Mark Young and Jocelyn Broman. Mateske also praised the Wauwatosa community, the State Bar and the Center for Civic Education for their financial and other support.
Team members are: Liz Barton, David Boardman, Richard Dennik, Amanda Frederick, Katie Hewett, Samantha Himmelspach, Jasmine King, Samuel Krenzien, Sean Kundinger, Molly O'Brien, Tim O'Brien, Katherine Potkonjak, Mariah Rogers, Kathryn Schmutzer, Megan Schneck, Allison Stokes, T.J. Vellinga and Taylor Wall. “I wish everyone in Wisconsin could see the outstanding work these young people have done, both getting ready and participating in the national competition. If anyone is troubled about the future of our state and nation, I urge them to become involved in a program like We the People so they can gain the sense of pride and optimism that this team has given me,” Mateske said.
The competition includes rankings for six separate units, including “Unit 5: Protection of Rights.” Wauwatosa West’s Unit 5, consisting of Jasmine King, Megan Schneck and Katie Hewett, was ranked the best Unit 5 team in the competition. "The girls in that group were amazing both days,” Mateske said. “They just floored the judges both days. On day two they upped their game from day one in front of an Ohio State Supreme Court Justice who started his feedback portion to the girls with, 'I don't even know where to begin with what I just saw other than to say that was a wow moment.' The girls worked the hardest of all the groups and they demonstrated what hard work can do. I am very proud of all three of them."
When not involved in two rounds of competition, the students visited the WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, Jefferson, FDR, and Lincoln Memorials as well as Arlington Cemetery, the White House, Capitol Building, Supreme Court Building and Library of Congress. They also went to the Air and Space Museum, Natural History Museum, Holocaust Museum, International Spy Museum, Newseum and Ford's Theater. They met Senators Kohl and Feingold and toured the Capitol with an assistant of Representative Sensenbrenner.
"The competition was a lot of fun,” noted team member Sam Krenzien. “Learning about all the issues of the past and current time periods being able to demonstrate how they relate to each other is very interesting. Being able to go to D.C. to compete was amazing. Seeing the memorials dedicated to those who risked their lives for our country is very humbling." Unit 5 team member Megan Schneck added that "This has been the best class that I have ever taken. Going to D.C. was a lot of hard work but it was all worth it. The competition was a little scary but I feel that our class rose to the occasion and did an amazing job."
Mateske stressed the importance of parental support for the team and the school’s Assistant Principal (and trip chaperon) Paul Thusius reported that watching the students compete helped strengthen his faith in the future of our youth and this country. “The depth of their understanding regarding the documents that our country was built on goes well beyond that of most college political science majors. The relationships and sense of teamwork that were built as students prepared to compete, may in the long run surpass the importance of the knowledge base that they built.”
Separately, Atty. Lindsey Draper and Dr. John Kaminski, participated in the national competition as judges. Both are active supporters of Wisconsin’s We the People program.
Additional information about the Project Citizen, We the People and other law-related education activities sponsored by the State Bar of Wisconsin can be found on legalexplorer.com, the State Bar’s legal information and educational program website.
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© 2009, State Bar of Wisconsin
