News from the Center for Civic Education
Maggie L. Walker Governor's School Places First in We the People National Finals, National Invitational Taking Place This Weekend, Historic Civics Summit, and More in This Month's Newsletter.
Forty-Seven Schools Compete Online in We the People National Finals
More than 1,000 students from 47 high schools competed in the 2021 We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution National Finals, held April 24-26. Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies from Richmond, Virginia, led by teacher Samuel Ulmschneider, placed first in the competition, during which students testified before a panel of judges on the principles of the U.S. Constitution. Grant High School from Portland, Oregon, led by teacher Angela DiPasquale, placed second, and Reno High School from Nevada, led by teacher Richard Clark, finished third. "In an extremely tough year, We the People has been a class that remained a joy for me to teach, even on Zoom," said Ulmschneider. The We the People National Finals were generously sponsored by a grant from T-Mobile. "It was inspiring to witness these committed students eloquently explain their informed viewpoints on our nation's constitutional principles," said Christopher R. Riano, president of the Center for Civic Education.
We the People National Invitational Taking Place This Weekend
The We the People National Invitational, a middle school competition on the U.S. Constitution, is taking place from May 1 to 3. Fourteen schools will take part in the event, which will be held online for the second year. Competitors will represent Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Nevada, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington.
Summit on Civic Education Features Key Leaders in Civic Education
The We the People National Finals began this year with We the People: A Leadership Summit on Civic Education, a discussion among the leaders of six national civics organizations. The panelists for the webinar were Christopher R. Riano, president of the Center for Civic Education; Louise Dubé, executive director of iCivics; Amanda Susskind, president of the Constitutional Rights Foundation; Kerry Sautner, chief learning officer of the National Constitution Center; David Bobb, president of the Bill of Rights Institute; and Elizabeth Clay Roy, chief executive officer of Generation Citizen. Panelists discussed topics ranging from the Roadmap to Educating for American Democracy to teaching controversial political issues in schools.
Apply by May 1 for Free American History and Civics Academies!
Join us this summer for the FREE Presidential Academy for teachers and Congressional Academy for students! The academies will be held online from July 5 to 23. Applications are currently being accepted!
Quick Quiz! Which amendment to the Constitution, along with Supreme Court decisions, was required to incorporate most of the provisions of the Bill of Rights as limits on the states?
A. First Amendment
B. Fourth Amendment
C. Twelfth Amendment
D. Fourteenth Amendment
Read on to learn the answer!
Three We the People Teachers Win National Award
Suzanne Kammerman from Staples High School in Connecticut, Kelley Brown from Easthampton High School in Massachusetts, and Trish Everett from Pine Crest Upper School in Florida have been named 2021 Law-Related Education Teachers of the Year by the American Lawyers Alliance. Kammerman and Everett are both We the People alumni. Brown and Kammerman each sent classes to the We the People National Finals this year, having won their state competitions. "I am incredibly honored to receive this award on behalf of the exciting law-related programs I have been able to develop over the past years. I am so thankful for the amazing volunteers and alums that have helped to build an incredibly successful We the People program at Easthampton High School that is preparing students to become leaders, citizens, and educators," said Brown. Congratulations to the award winners!
Quiz Answer!
D. Fourteenth Amendment (see episode 4314)
For more quizzes and learning opportunities, check out the 60-Second Civics podcast and daily civics quiz!
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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. AmazonSmile.
This newsletter is a brief bulletin designed to keep you informed about some of the Center for Civic Education's news and events. Information presented includes news from around the country, news from other countries in the Center's Civitas International network, grant and award opportunities, and program updates and clarifications. If you have pertinent material that you would like to include in future newsletters, please contact Mark Gage at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
