What is We the People ... Project Citizen?

We the People... Project Citizen is a portfolio - based civic education program that promotes competent and responsible participation in state and local government. Designed for students in upper elementary, middle school, and high school civics education, it actively engages students in learning how to monitor and influence public policy. As a class project, students work together to identify and study a public policy issue, evaluate options, select a solution to the problem, and develop an action plan to solve the problem. The final product is a portfolio displaying each group's work.

In a culminating activity, which is an excellent means of assessing performance, the class presents its portfolio in a simulated legislative hearing, demonstrating their knowledge and understanding of how public policy is formulated. Classes may also enter their portfolios in a local competition with other classes. Local winners submit their portfolios for a statewide competition, and the state winner goes on to be evaluated in the Project Citizen National Showcase.

We the People... Project Citizen is administered nationally by the Center for Civic Education in cooperation with the National Conference of State Legislatures. Locally it is administered by the State Bar of Wisconsin and is endorsed by the Wisconsin State Senate.

Program Contacts

To receive a free classroom set ($150.00 value) of We the People... Project Citizen materials and to involve your students in the program, teachers and civic educators may contact:

Jack Jarmes
Project Citizen State Coordinator
S80 W19320 Highland Park Drive
Muskego, WI 53150
(262) 679-8919
jackjarmes@yahoo.com

Marsha Varvil-Weld
State Bar of Wisconsin
5302 Eastpark Blvd.
Madison, WI 53718
(608) 250-6191
Fax: (608) 257-5502
mvarvil-weld@wisbar.org

Rational & critical acclaim information for
We the People... Project Citizen: (click here)