For Immediate Release
|
| |
CONTACT: Christi Powers
State Bar of Wisconsin
(608) 250-6025
(608) 692-2206 (mobile) |
 |
|
Heritage Christian Middle School to compete in civics
competition
MADISON, May 31, 2002 - Students from Heritage
Christian Middle School in West Allis will compete in the "We the
People...Project Citizen" statewide competition this weekend. Four teams
of students spent a semester studying a public policy issue and
developed an implementation plan under the direction of their teacher
Tracy Eastburn. The students will be judged on their creative efforts to
research and devise solutions to the following issues.
- Dangerous intersections One team of students
studied the intersection of Woelfel Road and Wisconsin Avenue near their
school. The students felt that adding a sign that reads "cross traffic
does not stop" or changing it to a four-way stop will solve the
problem.
- Littering The students felt that two different
educational campaigns would help eliminate littering. One campaign is
based on the slogan "Carry in, Carry Out" the other is "Give Your 1%" to
symbolize people using 1% of their time in the park picking up
litter.
- Private School Tuition One team addressed the issue
of families having to pay tuition in order for their kids to attend
private school, in addition to paying taxes that aid public schools.
Their possible solutions include charter schools, school vouchers or
Universal Tuition Tax Credit, when parents can contribute to the
education of their secondary or elementary student and qualify for a
dollar for dollar credit against certain taxes owed.
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 winner of the state competition will compete in the national
tournament in Denver in July. Heritage Christian Middle School has won
the state competition the past four years.
"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.
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.
Press Releases
