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MICHIGAN CENTER FO R CIVIC EDUCA TlO N

APRIL 2006 Educating for Citizenship Focuses on Excellence

materials and programs, leadership in pro­ teachers, elementary through high school, moting civic education, and effective use to recognition of the Civic Education of community resource persons in support Teacher of the Year, this year' s conference of civic education. Currently in his 31st focused on the best materials and strategies year teaching, Betts is best known for his for preparing young people to be active high standards for excellence and his ever and responsible citizens in our democracy . cheerful personaJi ty . The highlight of the day was the opportu­ Keeping the conference grounded in the nity for conference participants to have a realities of 's changing economy, dialogue with Senator . u. s and the need for high school reform, was Michigan's senior senator, Levin spoke Michigan Superintendent of Public In­ about the need for government to live up to struction Michael Flanagan. The more the ideals being taught in our classrooms. demanding requirements for high school u.s. Senator Carl Levin congratulates the Questions from the audience covered a graduation, now being finalized, were Center's teacher-of-the-year recipient, range of topics from the federal role in presented as essential to providing students Blaine Bells, Westwood High School, educati on, to the use of torture in the war with the knowledge and skills to compete Ishpeming. on terror. in a global economy. Marquette's own Blaine Betts was named The lunch served to attendees at the 21 st The 22nd Annual Educating for Citizen­ the 2005 Civic Education Teacher of the Annual Educating for Citizenship confer­ ship conference will be held December 7, Year. Betts was recognized for his excel­ ence was good. The rest of the day was 2006 at the Kellogg Center in East Lans­ lence in civic education instruction, initia­ about excelIence. From sessions for ing. tive in the development of civic education Michigan Teachers Learn and Share in Eastern Europe

Five Michigan teachers traveled to the Oklahoma. Seminar participants learned about the challenges of democratic citizenship in a Czech Republic in January for a week­ The Michigan delegation included Ann long seminar, Strengthening Democracy Bird, Sturgis Middle School; Gregory place where borders shift and regimes through Project Citizen. Organized by change, providing little opportunity for Evans, Winterhalter Middle School, De­ the Michigan Center for Civic Education troit; Rita Lockridge, Noble Middle citizens to experience democracy. as part of the CIVITAS: International School, ; Terri Mount, Hanover­ CIVITAS is funded through the U. S. De­ Exchange Program, the seminar gave Horton Middle School; Dave Vermeulen, partment of Education, which partners teachers the opportunity to share experi­ Nellie B. Chi sholm Middle School , Monta­ civic education organizations in emerging ences implementing Project Citizen, an gue. Accompanying the teachers were democracies with their counterparts in the internationally acclaimed civic education Center Executive Director Linda Start, and United States. program, with counterparts from the Director of Programs Jim Troost. Czech Republic, Slovakia, Colorado and

UPCOMING EVENTS We the People Finals, Washington DC April 28-May 2 Project Citizen Hearings, Lansing May 11 National Mock Trial Championship, Oklahoma City May 11-13

We the People Level IIII Showcase, Lansing May 22

Civitas Directors Meeting, Warsaw, Poland rt). We the People Summer Institute, Holland, MI June 19-23 Educators from Michigan, Colorado and Oklahoma visit a middle school class in Usti, Czech Republic. CENTER NEWS PAGE 2

Middle School Problem Solvers to Showcase in Lansing

Energy conservation, vending machines in Each class will also submit a "portfolio," schools, childhood obesity -- these are just consisting of a four-panel display and re­ a sampling of the public policy issues source binder, for judging. Awards for Michigan middle school classes have cho­ levels of achievement will be presented, sen to tackle as part of their involvement in and one portfolio will be selected to repre­ Project Citizen this year. Partici pating sent Michigan in the Project Citizen Na­ classes in this internationally acclaimed tional Showcase this summer. program select a problem in their commu­ Funded through the US Department of nity or state, evaluate possible solutions, Education, Project Citizen is coordinated formulate a public policy solution, and in Michigan by the Michigan Center for devise an action plan for seeing the policy Civic Education. The program offers enacted. teachers free classroom sets of material s, On May 11, classes from Detroit to Esca­ as well as free week-long summer insti­ naba will descend upon the Capitol in tutes. Contact the Center for more infor­ Lansing to present the proposed policies to mation. Rita Lockridge's class from Noble School their representatives, policy experts, and in Detroit received a rating of other concerned community members. "Superior" at the 2005 Project Citizen

Michigan Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools

viders, advocacy organizations, government the Michigan Civic Education Survey. agencies, legislators, school board members, At the close of the meeting, all of the student leaders, colleges and universities, students-some of whom had driven and philanthropic institutions, has taken the several hours, and others of whom had "student leaders" portion of its description flown in from the Upper Peninsula for seriously, and formed a Youth Advisory the event-agreed that their role in the Committee. Campaign is vital and that they intended to continue to support it as they move The committee, composed of young men and women ranging from 7'h graders to col­ forward in their academic and profes­ sionallives. Plans are for representatives lege seniors, shared their experience, in­ sights, and opinions on the state of civic from the Youth Advisory Committee to Members ofthe Michigan Coalition on attend upcoming meetings of the full education in Michigan. Developed and Civic Education Youth Advisory Commit­ maintained by Michigan 4-H, a member of Coalition. tee met in March to add their voices to the the coalition, the committee plays an impor­ cause. tant role in keeping the Michigan Campaign in touch with student needs and fresh ideas. The Michigan Coalition on Civic Educa­ tion, a voluntary partnership between edu­ Meeting in Lansing on March 17, the com­ cation organizations, civic education pro­ mittee reviewed the preliminary results of

East Kentwood Advances to We the People National Finals

Teacher Deb Snow and her students from in a simulated congressional hearing. East Kentwood High School will travel to To represent Michigan at the national fi­ Washington, DC, April 29 - May 1, nals, the class won first place at the state where they will represent Michigan in the flOals held January 6 in the hearing rooms national finals of We the People: The Citi­ of the Capitol in Lansing. zen and the Constitution program, the Also competing were classes from Cold­ highly prestigious academic competition water (honorable mention), Comstock Park, Dryden, East Grand Rapids (second on the Constitution. place), Howell (third place), Hudsonville The East Kentwood students have studied (honorable mention), Marquette, Rich­ for months to prepare for their roles as mond, Rockford, and Tri-Unity Christian Students on the hot seat, responding to experts testifying on constitutional issues (Grand Rapids). questions from an ad hoc committee of scholars and congressional staff CENTER NEWS PAGE 3

Mock Trial Tournament Champions Crowned

Teacher Mikell Griffith's mock trial team ern H.S., Bay City. Kalamazoo defeated from Kalamazoo Central High School took Clarkston in the championship round of top honors in this year's Michigan High the state fmal s, held March 25 at the School Mock Trial Tournament, becoming Veteran's Memorial Courthouse in Lans­ the third different school in the last three ing. Huron HS. finished third and years to win the championship. The com­ Lahser came in fourth. Kalamazoo now petition, which provides teams statewide goes on to represent Michigan in the with a fictional fact pattern and then pits Mock Trial National Championship, held them against one another in actual court­ this May in Oklahoma City. rooms, has become more competitive than The Michigan High School Mock Trial ever. Kalamazoo Central High School Mock Tournament would not be possible with­ Trial team and coaches with championship In addition to Kalamazoo, the remaining out the assistance of the many attomeys, roundjudges: Hon. Benjamin Logan, 61st nine schools that qualified for the fmals judges and teachers who give so much of District Court (secondfrom right); Agnes were: Andover HS., Bloomfield Hills; their time, or without the financial sup­ Kempker-Cloyd, Assistant Us. Attorney Central HS., Bay City; Clarkston HS.; port of the Macomb County Bar Founda­ (secondfrom left); and Thomas Cranmer, Community HS., Ann Arbor; Forest Hills tion, the Oakland County Bar Founda­ President, State Bar ojMichigan (Third Northern HS., Grand Rapids; Huron HS., tion, the State Bar of Michigan, The from left) Ann Arbor; Lahser HS., Bloomfield Hills; State Bar's Litigation Section, and Cen­ Lutheran High North, Macomb; and West- ter members.

Friends in High Places ~[lCmGA1 2111 Ponhac LAke Road CENTER N Waterford. Ml 48328 Facing the elimination of federal funding _ FOR Tel (248) 209-2325 for civic education, Michigan's members If]11I~ CIVIC Fax (248) 209-2436 of Congress rose to the challenge. Con­ If11111 EDUCATION gressman (D), co-authored a -. proposal in the House of Representati ves MCCE STAFF to restore funding, which had been cut Linda Start. },'xeculive Direclor from the President's budget, and Senator (D) did the same in the Jim Troost, Direclor ojPrograms Senate. 142 members of the House of Lyn Weber, O/lice Adminislralor Representatives signed on to the Kildee proposal and 48 Senators agreed to co­ BOARD OF DIRECTORS sponsor Stabenow's. (Above) Michigan's congressional districl and The budget process is ongoing, but such a stale coordinators for the We Ihe People program Amy B. Bloom. heasurer strong showing of support for civic educa­ wilh Us. Senator Debbie Slabenow (center). Donald M. Fulkerson tion is a promising sign. Michigan mem­ (Below) Congressman with coordi­FIll. Phi Ii P 1. Hart bers of Congress who signed on were nator Susan Laninga.. Senator Carl Levin (D), and Representa­ Hon. Hoon-Yung Hopgood tives (D), John DingeU (D), Hon. Ron Jeltnek Vern Ehlers (R), (D), Thad­ Michael D. Langnas deus McCotter (R), Mike Rogers (R), (R), and CD). Dr. Timothy H. Little Hon . Ronald W. Lowe Lynn K. Richardson, President David M. Sherbin Karen R. Todorov William C. Trevarthen Lamont M. Walton, Secrelary Hon. Michael Warren Janet K. Welch

Congressman Dale Kildee (right) with coor­ dinators Roy Sovis (middle) andJim Troost.