News Releases | Indiana Bar Foundation

May 17, 2013

NEWS RELEASE

Elementary Students Show they Know the Constitution, Compete to Display Knowledge

INDIANAPOLIS – Seven schools and 400 fifth-grade students studying the U.S. Constitution showcased their knowledge before panels of attorneys and community leaders. The elementary showcase for We The People: the Citizen and the Constitution.

Students participating in the showcase from the following schools and communities completed the showcase with the following assessments of their knowledge base:

Frank Hammond School, Munster - Superior
Kahler Middle School, Dyer - Outstanding
Grimmer Middle School, Schererville (3 classes) - Superior
Clark Middle School, St. John (2 classes) - Superior
Canterbury School, Fort Wayne (3 classes) - Superior
William Tell Elementary School, Tell City - Superior
Maconaquah Elementary School, Bunker Hill - Outstanding

Indiana's First Lady Karen Pence addressed the students due to the Governor's need to be elsewhere after a brief welcome. She was "so impressed to see students as young as yourselves compteting in this event."

"Programs like We The People benefit our state as a whole. I suspect a number of you will serve in this building (the statehouse) one day," she continued. "Being a responsible, informed citizen is a duty we all share," she emphasized.

The students begin their testimony with a prepared statement that involves independent research and examples from contemporary issues. Some even discuss local issues. At the conclusion of this opening statement, the students respond to questions from the panel of judges comprised of attorneys and other professionals who work in government or public policy.

The curriculum and preparation for the showcase teach the students skills in teamwork, critical thinking, public speaking and research as well as history. To learn more about civic education and the We the People curriculum, visit www.inbf.org/.

Canterbury students preparing to testify at 2013 We The People
elementary showcase

One team from Kahler Middle School poses before lunch at We The People elementary showcase.

May 8, 2013

News Release

MEDIA CONTACT: Statewide: Theresa Browning, 317-269-7864 or 317-771-4358, tbrowning@inbf.org

Governor Pence to Address Fifth Grade Civic Education Students at

We The People Event

INDIANAPOLIS – Governor Mike Pence will address more than 350 fifth-grade students studying the U.S. Constitution at the May 17 showcase where the students display their knowledge before panels of attorneys and community leaders. The elementary showcase for We The People: the Citizen and the Constitution will occur in Indianapolis at the Indiana Government Center. The Governor will address the student scholars at 2:00 p.m. in the north atrium of the Capitol Building.

“We are delighted the Governor will address our students,” said Charles R. Dunlap, executive director, Indiana Bar Foundation. “The teachers and the students work extremely hard all semester to study the Constitution and demonstrate their knowledge. Having Governor Pence address the students will be a great way to show them that their studies are important and deserving of recognition.”

Students participating in the showcase are from the following schools and communities:

Frank Hammond School, Munster
Kahler Middle School, Dyer
Grimmer Middle School, Schererville (3 classes)
Clark Middle School, St. John (2 classes)
Canterbury School, Fort Wayne (3 classes)
William Tell Elementary School, Tell City
Maconaquah Elementary School, Bunker Hill

The students prepare to answer the following sample questions:

What were the founders’ basic ideas about government?
How was our Constitution written?
How did the framers organize the government?
How does the Constitution protect your basic rights?
What are the responsibilities of citizens?

The Indiana Bar Foundation’s mission is to assist people who have difficulty accessing the justice system, provide law-related education and improve Indiana’s judicial system and the legal profession.

NEWS RELEASE

May 6, 2013

Indiana Middle School Wins Inaugural Civics Competition

INDIANAPOLIS – Brown County Junior High School won the inaugural civic education invitational for middle schools in Washington, D.C. The announcement was made Monday night (May 6, 2013).

“We are thrilled to see the middle school students at Brown County Junior High School succeed on a national stage,” said Charles R. Dunlap, J.D., executive director, Indiana Bar Foundation, the nonprofit that organizes Indiana’s premiere civic education program We The People: the Citizen and the Constitution. “We think Indiana’s students are great civic scholars. This just affirms it.”

Brown County Junior High School’s team won Indiana’s state finals in December 2012.

For more information on the inaugural invitational, visit here, this link or this results page.

April 30, 2013

NEWS RELEASE

Both Indiana High Schools in National Civics Competition Place in Top 10

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana boasted two high schools in the national civic education competition recently completed. Cathedral High School placed fifth in the nation and Plainfield High School placed 10^th. Classes representing 45 states competed in this three-day event where students testified on constitutional issues in simulated congressional hearings.

“Having two teams in the top 10 is a testament to the depth of talent in our state and the quality of teachers in the program,” said Charles R. Dunlap, executive director, Indiana Bar Foundation, which operates the We The People program in Indiana. This was the 26^th national competition for We The People. The two teams Indiana sent to compete were the first and second place teams in the Indiana finals held in December. It was the first time Indiana was allowed to send a wild card pick to the national finals.

For more information on the national finals, visit http://new.civiced.org/top-10

The students learn about American history and government with a textbook titled We The People: the Citizen and the Constitution. After studying for a semester, they prepare testimony on constitutional issues about current events and historical issues that is supported by facts they have researched. The educational model develops skills in critical thinking, teamwork, public speaking and research methods. Students testify at district and state competitions before being selected to attend the national event.

For more information on We The People or civic education, visit www.inbf.org/ or call 317-269-2415.

The Indiana Bar Foundation seeks to strengthen understanding of the rule of law and access to justice through programs and services offered by Indiana attorneys and judges.