We The People Volunteer 2021-2022
Volunteers Make We the People Happen!
Thank you for your interest in volunteering for the We the People Program. Thank you for valuing and advancing a civic spirit through the We the People program.
“Volunteerism is the voice of the people put into action. These actions shape and mold the present into a future of which we can all be proud.” -Helen Dyer.
Thank you for using your time, care, and talents to advance the future of civic communities.
The 2021-2022 We the People Showcase & Competition Season
All MCCE events are tentatively virtual for 2021-2022. This includes districts and state events. The We the People National finals, run by the Center for Civic Education, is tentatively in person.
Opportunities to Volunteer! Dates
District Events – Districts are a half day event. Typically beginning orientations around 7:30 a.m. and wrapping up at 12:00 p.m.
November 17, 2021 – East
November 19, 2021 – West (Kent Intermediate School District Host)
Each unit will be asked District Question #3. A full list of district questions can be found here: https://civiced.org/images/stories/WeThePeople/The_Program/Hearings/districtlevelhearingquestionshs.pdf
The State Showcase and Finals
January 7, 2022 – This event is all day. Orientations begin around 7:30 am and finish around 4:15 p.m. Awards begin 4:30 (ish).
MCCE has determined which two questions will be asked for the state showcase and competition. Please see the portion of the document below. The decisions were made to try to provide the whole unit experience – so after analysis of District Question #3, the two questions that best complimented the state questions for the state showcase and competition. The full list of State Questions are here – https://files.civiced.org/pdfs/WTP/StateHearingQuestions2021-22.pdf
Unit 1 – Questions 1 and 2
Unit 2 – Questions 1 and 2
Unit 3 – Questions 1 and 2
Unit 4 – Questions 2 and 3
Unit 5 – Questions 1 and 3
Unit 6 – Questions 1 and 3
These questions have been formatted in this Google document. A PDF is also here.
Judging and Volunteer Resources
New to We the People? Welcome! We are so happy you are joining us. We will walk you through the process together in an orientation session and are also available to schedule individual sessions to provide an outline of the program.
Returning to We the People? Welcome back! We are so glad you are joining us again. The promise these young people demonstrate are testimonials in and of themselves to the power of the program. Please join us for an orientation session to review the virtual adaptations.
Orientation sessions are meant to provide an outline of what is expected as a judge, the process, and provide an opportunity for us to connect and advance the mission of MCCE together. You will see two columns – one geared for judges and one geared for facilitators.
Judges are those who will listen and engage with the students in the content.
Facilitators are those who will help handle the technology of the event, greet the students, and ensure the judges have the materials they will need. Zoom familiarity is requested.
Please review these provided orientation sessions. If one of these times does not work for you, please let us know and we’ll arrange a time to review the materials and the processes! Each session should take 40-50 minutes. Thank you!
Orientation Options
Judges
Monday, November 15 – 12-1 p.m.
Tuesday, November 16 – 6-7 p.m.
Monday, January 3 – 12 – 1 p.m.
Monday, January 3 – 6-7 p.m.
Wednesday, January 5 – 6-7 p.m.
Facilitators (Zoom greeters and room movers)
Monday, November 15 – 1 – 2 p.m.
Monday, November 15 – 5 – 6 p.m.
Monday, January 3 – 1 – 2 p.m.
Monday, January 3 – 5 – 6 p.m.
Wednesday, January 5 – 5 – 6 p.m.
More Resources
Please see these additional resources which will be updated and used for the 2021-2022 season.
Judges Materials
Judges Score Sheets (actual score sheet will be electronic)
Judges Scoring Guidelines and Criteria
In Person Judges Reminders and Tips – many applicable to the Virtual Process as well
Judges Checklist – use this to guide you step by step through the judging and process.
Possible follow up questions will be provided to judges at the event.
Facilitator Checklist – use this to guide you step by step through the facilitation and hearing process.
Rules for High School Competition Participation
*note – MCCE provides a showcase event as well for schools to participate outside the CCE rules. The CCE rules are only for those schools wishing to advance to the National Event. All schools will be assessed in the same fashion without distinction between showcase and competition. All units are eligible for awards and recognition!
More about We the People
We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution
The Michigan Center for Civic Education has directed the We the People…the Citizen and the Constitution program in Michigan since the program began in 1987 as a special program to commemorate the Bicentennial of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Developed by the Center for Civic Education, the primary goal of We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution is to promote civic competence, responsibility, appreciation, and enthusiasm for the Constitution and our societal issues among the nation’s upper elementary and secondary students.
We the People engages students in a curriculum designed to foster understanding of the institutions of American democracy, including the Constitution with a specialization in the Bill of Rights. Culminating activities feature a simulated congressional hearing in which students “testify” before a panel of volunteer attorneys, educators, and civic leaders. A prepared response and a conversation between students and their panel of judges highlights the best of both student-centered pedagogy and Constitutional scholarship.
During the State Showcase and Finals, students have opportunities to address panels and testify on critical Constitutional questions of the day. Judges then engage our young Constitutional scholars in dialogue on the content, history, and current applications of the Constitution.
What are the areas of specialization?
We the People is an amazing student centered assessment and performance formatted as a simulated congressional hearing. High School classes present testimony (4 minutes) and answer questions from a panel of community experts (6 minutes) about historical, political, and Constitutional issues. Students are expected to be generalists in overall Constitutional knowledge and specialists in one of six units of in-depth study. Those are:
- Unit 1: What are the Philosophical and Historical Foundations of the American Political System?
- Unit 2: How Did the Framers Create the Constitution?
- Unit 3: How has the Constitution been Changed to Further the Ideals Contained in the Declaration of Independence?
- Unit 4: How have the Values and Principles Embodied in the Constitution Shaped American Institutions and Practices?
- Unit 5: What Rights does the Bill of Rights Protect?
- Unit 6: What Challenges Might Face American Constitutional Democracy in the Twenty-First Century?