November 10, 2005

Students to test knowledge of Constitution in 'We The People ...'

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – About 400 middle school students from the Zionsville area will have the chance to demonstrate what they know about the U.S. Constitution during an annual competition at Purdue University.

"We The People ... The Citizen and the Constitution" will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 18 in Stewart Center. The event is being organized by the College of Education's James F. Ackerman Center for Democratic Citizenship, and the 4th Congressional District competition is co-coordinated by Judge Gregory Donat of Tippecanoe Superior Court 4.

In the competition, students will give presentations and answer questions about the history of the Constitution and its applications to life in the United States today.

"The more students know about the Constitution, the more they will understand what their rights and responsibilities are as Americans," said Phillip J. VanFossen, an associate professor of curriculum and instruction and director of the Ackerman Center. "Competitions like this help the next generation of voters gain a strong understanding of our system of government, which is crucial for building a strong democracy."

The competition is modeled after a congressional hearing with the student groups giving presentations on different aspects of the Constitution, such as history, government organization, the Bill of Rights and current issues.

VanFossen said the 12 teams in this competition are made up of middle schools classes, but there also are events for elementary and high school students. Regional competitions are taking place in each Indiana congressional district, and winners from each category will advance to the state finals, which will take place in December at Indianapolis.

"The competition is especially important because the students learn not only the rights that are inherent to the Constitution but also where those rights came from," he said.

And understanding those rights and responsibilities goes a long way toward developing future generations of informed and involved citizens, VanFossen said. This can help stem voter apathy and lead to a greater turnout at the polls among young people, who consistently tend to vote in lower numbers than any other age group.

He said the competition also has far-reaching benefits.

"After the competition, the students leave invigorated and eager to share what they have learned with their families," VanFossen said. "The students often discover that their parents are misinformed, and so the children actually teach them about the Constitution and our system of government. So the impact of the education is long lasting. It stretches much further than just a group of students on a particular day."

The James F. Ackerman Center for Democratic Citizenship was created in 1994 with a $2 million gift from James Ackerman, an Indianapolis cable television executive, and his wife, Lois. The center's mission is to bring citizenship education to schools throughout Indiana and the rest of the country.

Writer: Kim Medaris, (765) 494-6998, kmedaris@purdue.edu

Source: Phillip VanFossen, (765) 494-2367, vanfoss@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

Note to Journalists: Media interested in covering the competition can make arrangements with Kim Medaris at the Purdue News Service, (765) 494-6998, kmedaris@purdue.edu

To the News Service home page