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Court News Ohio
Civic Education
Competition Takes Center Stage at Ohio Statehouse
Why did the Articles of Confederation prove inadequate to form a
national government? In what ways did the Articles of Confederation
demonstrate a distrust of strong national government, and to what
extent do those reasons exist today? Are they justified?
These are some of many questions high school students from across the
state will answer during the We the People: The Citizen and the
Constitution state competition held on Jan. 22 at the Ohio Statehouse.
Participating schools include: Archbold High School (Fulton County),
Findlay High School (Hancock County), Northmont High School (Montgomery
County), Van Wert High School (Van Wert County), and West Carrollton
High School (Montgomery County). Law and Leadership Institute
(LLI) students from Cincinnati (Clark Montessori, Fairfield High
School, Walnut Hills High School, and Wyoming High School) will also
participate.
“We the People enhances students’ understanding of American
constitutional democracy and helps them to identify the contemporary
relevance of the Constitution and Bill of Rights,” Lisa Eschleman, Ohio
Center for Law-Related Education (OCLRE) executive director, said. “The
state competition is a wonderful opportunity for students to
demonstrate the critical thinking, problem-solving, and cooperative
learning skills necessary to become active, responsible citizens.”
We the People, a national program administered in Ohio by the OCLRE,
allows students to participate in simulated congressional hearings.
Students showcase their understanding of constitutional principles and
evaluate, present, and defend positions on relevant historical and
contemporary issues. After providing prepared answers to the
competition questions, students undergo questioning by judging panels
including college professors, judges, attorneys, state legislators, and
other community leaders, who probe their full comprehension of the
topic.
The winning class will represent Ohio in the We the People national
finals held on April 22-25 at the University of Maryland.
OCLRE is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization whose goal is to
improve society by developing citizens empowered with an understanding
of America’s democratic system. The Supreme Court of Ohio, the Ohio
Attorney General’s Office, the Ohio State Bar Association, and the
American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio Foundation sponsor OCLRE.
In Ohio, We the People is funded in part by a grant from the Ohio State
Bar Foundation. For more information visit www.oclre.org.
LLI is a statewide initiative in collaboration with the legal community
that inspires high school students, primarily from urban public school
districts, for post-secondary and professional success through a
comprehensive four-year academic program in law, leadership, analytical
thinking, problem solving, writing skills and professionalism. For more
information visit www.lawandleadership.org.
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