Civic Education Competition Judges

Save to Favorites

The Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education co-sponsors several law-related education programs that provide a competition level to Arizona students. Community members have the opportunity to act on a panel of judges for the following: PROJECT CITIZEN - This program is all about Arizona middle school students solving problems in their communities. They create portfolios that demonstrate their problem, show possible solutions, their public policy to solve the problem and an action plan for implementing their policy. They then begin to prepare for a Legislative Simulated Hearing which will allow them to demonstrate their knowledge and expertise. The National Conference of State Legislatures, the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education, and many members of the Arizona Legislature have formed a partnership to promote this worthy, educational program for Arizona's youth. The Showcase, sponsored by the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education, consists of two components for the students to display their knowledge and expertise. Portfolios are displayed in a public forum for two weeks and the oral hearings have two to four members of the community who are responsible for listening to the students' prepared testimony about the problem they've chosen and then for asking follow-up questions. The oral part of the showcase consists of two rounds followed by an awards luncheon for all the students, teachers and judges. The winner of the state showcase will represent Arizona at the National showcase held in conjunction with the National Conference of State Legislature's summer meeting. Volunteer Opportunities: Attorneys, judges and community members entering the classroom as resource people on public policy and constitutional law School Year Attorneys, judges and community members participating in the District Showcase as judges Also needed - Timers March - Payson, Phoenix, Mesa, Tucson Attorneys, judges and community members participating in the State Showcase as judges Also needed - Timers May - Phoenix WE THE PEOPLE - This is an educational program developed and administered by the Center for Civic Education and funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The program was established in 1987 under the Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution. Arizona's program is administered by the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education and funded in part by the Arizona Supreme Court and the Center for Civic Education. The primary goal of We the People: The Citizen and the Constitutionis to promote civic competence and responsibility among the nation's students through classroom curriculum about the history and philosophy of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. The program is used in grades 4 -12. The competition is for high school students. Students prepare for these hearings by completing a semester instructional program using the We the People curriculum. Each member of the class becomes an expert witness on one of the six units in the text and then testifies in small groups before a panel of judges acting as U. S. Congressional Representatives. During the simulated congressional hearing, students are judged on the following criteria: understanding, constitutional application, reasoning, supporting evidence, responsiveness, and participation. Volunteer Opportunities: Attorneys, judges and community members serving as scholars in classrooms preparing expert witness testimonies on one of the 6 units for the simulated congressional hearings. School Year Attorneys, judges and community members participating in the District Competition as judges Also needed - Timers December - Payson, Tucson, Phoenix, Lake Havasu, Mesa Attorneys, judges and community members participating in the State Competition as judges Also needed - Timers January - Phoenix