Supreme Court Justice G. Barry Anderson congratulated the students during the 2007 awards ceremony.

The primary goal of this nationally acclaimed civic education program is to promote civic competence and responsibility among the nation's elementary and secondary students. We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution is administered by the Center for Civic Education through a network of state and congressional district coordinators. The St. Paul based Learning Law and Democracy Foundation administers the Minnesota program.

Since its inception in 1987 in celebration of the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution, more than 28 million students and 90 thousand educators across the country have participated in this innovative course of study. It includes a free instructional component that enhances students' understanding of the institutions of American constitutional democracy and helps them discover the contemporary relevance of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The three levels of We the People textbooks are designed for a wide range of student abilities and may be used as a supplemental text or for a full semester of study.

Using critical thinking exercises, problem-solving activities, and cooperative learning techniques, students learn about the development of our democratic system of government, learn how government functions, and develop the skills and attitudes that are necessary for them to be effective, responsible citizens.

As a culminating activity, students participate in a simulated congressional hearing. In this exciting performance based assessment, students "testify" before a panel of judges. They demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles and evaluate, take, and defend positions on relevant constitutional issues.

These simulated congressional hearings take place in classrooms throughout Minnesota. Schools representing each of Minnesota’s congressional districts are invited to compete in the annual Minnesota We the People Showcase and Competition, held at the Minnesota State Capitol in December. The top-scoring team represents Minnesota at the National We the People Competition in Washington DC each spring.

A program proven to work!

The Program Effectiveness Panel of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Diffusion Network examined the reports of numerous research studies on the We the People program. The panel validated the results of those studies and confirmed the program’s powerful educational effects on students’ civic knowledge and attitudes. This formal validation recognizes the We the People program’s "contributions to excellence in education."

What the Research Says

• A "great instructional success," is how the Educational Testing Service characterizes the We the People program. Independent studies by ETS have revealed that We the People students "significantly outperformed comparison students on every topic of the tests taken."

• Students involved in the We the People program develop greater commitment to democratic principles and values, according to a study by Richard Brody of Stanford University. The study concludes that the program is effective in promoting political tolerance because participating students feel more politically effective and perceive fewer limits on their own political freedom.

• "[T]eachers feel excited and renewed.... Students are enthusiastic about what they have been able to accomplish, especially in terms of their ability to carry out a reasoned argument. They have become energized about their place as citizens of the United States," say researchers from the Council for Basic Education

• A 2001 survey of We the People alumni revealed that they are better informed and participate at higher rates than their peers. The data suggests that voting rates are significantly higher among alumni than nonparticipating peers surveyed in the 2000 American National Election Study (NES). Eighty-two percent of We the People alumni voted in November 2000, in contrast to 48 percent turnout by peers.