Flint and all, > What is the "We The People" project about? >
It's a civic education program; the full title is "We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution." Students take a class in which they learn about the Constitution and the history of its interpretation, particularly through Supreme Court cases. The class is also (if they so choose) a team in a national competition. The competition is styled sort of like a mock trial. Each team/class is broken up into three- or four-person "units" which are responsible for knowing a particular topic cold. They give an oral presentation about the topic, and then have to respond to questions by judges. (The judges are typically people of some legal significance: actual judges and lawyers as well as representatives.) Judges assign points based on their knowledge and their ability to express it, and the team with the most points at the end of the day wins. Essex's team (of which my little brother is a member, hence my connection) was the winner of the Vermont state-level competition this year, which is why they have the chance to go to Washington. It's a neat program; anyone who's seen these kids in action will tell you that it's well worth supporting. Richard
