California - We the People:
The Citizen and the Constitution
WTP Highschool
Companion Website
California Project Citizen Website
California Project
Citizen
If you are interested in our sister program, We the People, Project
Citizen please contact Project Citizen State Coordinator, Tina Ochoa at
ochoa@civiced.org
CALIFORNIA WE THE PEOPLE
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
The California We the People, The Citizen and the Constitution program
is one of only two states that divides itself not only into
Congressional Districts but also Regional Districts. Belows is the map of
this organization which should assist you in finding the appropriate
Region Coordinator to Contact.
Recent Posts
NEW! Application For
California/Nevada Summer Institute
July 6-12, University of San Diego
Open to Upper Elementary, Middle School
and High School Teachers
New: Literacy guides Available
The purpose of these guides is to provide
teachers using the WTP program strategies and resources to help
struggling readers. They include:
-An examination of the challenges facing struggling readers and their
teachers
-An explanation of the reading process
-Practical strategies for classroom teachers
-Teacher resources
New: Sample Follow-Up Questions
Welcome to the California, We the People: The Citizen
and the Constitution Website. This Civic Education program was first developed
by the Center for Civic Education in 1987 as the official curricular program to
celebrate the Bicentennial of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. For over
twenty years, the California We the People program has been committed to
assisting educators from all learning communities prepare our students for
citizenship in the Twenty-First century by focusing classroom learning on
developing Civic Knowledge, Civic Skills, and Civic Dispositions. To learn more
about the National We the People program, please go to the CCE Home button on
the menu above.
Our website is intended to provide both local and statewide contact information,
as well as information on professional development and community activities that
are being held around the state every month of year. It is also our goal to
provide both teachers and students with valuable resources that will assist in
their learning about America's Constitution and the role that each individual
plays in promoting both individual rights and the common good. Use the
navigation bar above to quickly access resources for the program developed by
staff and educators from California and across the world. If you have a question
about our program statewide or in your community, do not hesitate to contact the
California State Coordinator, David Richmond, at
cawtp35@yahoo.com
California We the
People:
The Citizen and the Constitution
2010 State Finals Results
CONGRATULATIONS to the nearly 350 students and teachers who participated
in this years We the People state finals. It was said by all 44 judges
who participated this year that this was the toughest competition they
have been involved with and that it was extremely difficult to separate
out the teams.
Twelve schools, representing the geographic, socio-economic, and ethnic
diversity met at the Sacramento Arden West Hilton and the State Capitol
in Sacramento to determine which school would represent the Great State
of California at the National We the People Finals in April.
Here are the results:
Gold Medal: Arcadia High School, Arcadia
Silver Medal: Amador Valley HS, Pleasanton
Bronze Medal: Irvington High School, Freemont
Fourth Place: Foothill High School, Pleasanton
Fifth Place: Centennial High School, Bakersfield
Unit Awards
Unit 1: Galileo High School, San Francisco
Unit 2: Calvin Christian High School, Escondido
Unit 3: Martin Luther King Jr. HS, Riverside
Unit 4: Foothill High School, Bakersfield
Unit 5: Monta Vista HS, Cupertino
Unit 6: Arvin High School, Arvin
Congressman Kevin
McCarthy Visits Foothill WTP Class
Students listen as Congressman McCarthy discusses redistricting
On November 13th, Congressman Kevin McCarthy (CA22) visited
Terri Richmond’s We the People class in Bakersfield. The
Congressman and the students discussed economic issues, health care,
redistricting, and sentencing for juveniles. Student Chris Biezad
solicited the Congressman’s views on the unitary executive and how the
Framers might have felt. McCarthy expressed that the response to 9/11
required an expansion of executive power. When asked by student Bianca
Ramirez about the fact that CA 22 is a relatively “safe” district,
Congressman McCarthy expressed his desire for a more competitive
district, stating that people who “breathe the same air and drive the
same roads” have similar interests, regardless of party.
Horacio Cortes and Gerardo Tellez get a little more information
Region 4: Bakersfield
College Hosts Annual WTP Scholars Night
Foothill student Bianca Ramirez waits for David
Richmond to call on her
On October 29th, ten Kern county We the People teams met at Bakersfield College for their annual Scholars Night, hosted by the Center for Kern Political Education. The evening began with awards presentations for recently retired Chief Public Defender, Mark Arnold, and Associate Superintendent for Kern County Superintendent of Schools, Pat Alexander. Awards were given by representatives of Congressmen McCarthy, Costa, and State representatives Fuller and Ashburn. Then the students were led in an examination of the case of Carey v. Musladin, concerning issues of the 1st and 6th amendments. Terri Richmond, region 4 co-coordinator, led the opening discussion, and then state coordinator David Richmond engaged the crowd of over 250 students in a debate of the issues. After the opening activity, students adjourned to their study rooms with their unit scholars for approximately 90 minutes of work.