James Madison's Montpelier We The People Spring 2013 | Page 15

student engagement in
constitutional studies

Students from Henrico
County claimed the title of
Virginia state champions
for the high school We the
People competition.

Middle and high school teams from across Virginia and
Washington, D.C. gathered in February to compete in a series
of simulated congressional hearings, with students serving
as “expert witnesses” on topics ranging from the Bill of
Rights to citizenship. The Virginia We the People State Finals
and Washington, D.C. Citywide Finals are the culminating
events for We the People: The Citizen and Constitution, a
national nonpartisan program hosted annually in Virginia
and Washington, D.C. by the Robert H. Smith Center for the
Constitution.
When the proverbial dust settled, students from Douglas
Freeman High School in Henrico County and Midlothian Middle
School in Chesterfield County claimed the title of Virginia state
champions, judged by a panel of community and statewide
leaders, attorneys and professors.
In Washington, D.C., Cesar Chavez Public Charter School
for Public Policy’s Capitol Hill Campus became the citywide
champion, and Alice Deal Middle School took the middle school
title. The Freeman and Chavez teams will face off against 54
other teams at the 2013 We the People National Finals.
Kathleen Kelso, a competitor from Douglas Freeman High
School, said, “Both of our teams at Freeman, as well as all of
the other participating schools, have taken enormous strides
in their understanding of what it is to govern a people... We
have learned a lot more than we could have imagined and we
are incredibly grateful to you, the judges, and The Montpelier
Foundation for all of your work and expertise.”

New Bill of Rights Course
Available Online
The online course “Constitutional Amendment:
The Bill of Rights” explores each of the first ten
amendments to the Constitution, delving into
their historical background and how each has
been subsequently applied and interpreted by
the courts. The course features new videos from
the Center’s “Constitutional Conversations” video
series, and challenges participants with interactive
constitutional questions and pro/con debates.
This is the second online course made available
by the Center. The “Constitutional Foundations”
online course offers seven exercises, each
focusing on different articles and amendments
in the United States Constitution. Each exercise
presents background information, resources,
multimedia content, and thought provoking
constitutional questions about the topic.
Online courses are free of charge. Learners have
the option to receive Continuing Education Units
(CEUs) from James Madison University. The cost
to claim credits is $25.

Summer Montpelier Seminars
Now Open for Enrollment
This June and July, the Robert H. Smith Center
for the Constitution will offer multiple courses
for educators, including one with registration
opportunities for the general public.
The Montpelier Seminars are a unique
professional development opportunity for social
studies teachers and other civic educators.
Participants in a Montpelier Seminar will live
and study on the grounds of James Madison’s
Montpelier.
June 29 – July 2: We the People Summer Seminar
(for Educators from Virginia and Washington, DC)
July 10 – 12: The Constitutional Structure of
Government: Separation of Powers and Checks
and Balances (for Educators and General Public)
July 15 – 19: The War of 1812: America’s
Second War of Independence (for Educators from
Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC)

Learn more about online courses and apply to a
residential seminar at learn.montpelier.org

We The People

We the people celebrates

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