[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 42 (Tuesday, April 16, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E534-E535]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            WE THE PEOPLE--THE CITIZEN AND THE CONSTITUTION

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL N. CASTLE

                              of delaware

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 16, 2002

  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to 
congratulate the

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young scholars of Lake Forest High School in Felton, Delaware who will 
represent my home state of Delaware in the We the People . . . The 
Citizen and the Constitution program. They are part of a group of 1200 
students from across the country who will come to Washington, D.C. from 
May fourth to the sixth to compete in the national finals of this 
program. These young scholars worked diligently and persistently to 
reach the national finals and through this program will gain a deeper 
knowledge and understanding of the fundamental principles and values of 
our constitutional democracy.
  The names of the honored students are: Corinne Bartley, Codi Canasa, 
Jeffery Chambers, Nicole Cosey, Heather Crouse, Lena Ewing, Michael 
Field, Danielle Galyean, Davis Gannon, Rebecca Grevis, Darron Johnson, 
Katie Kindig, Andrea Lewis, Michelle Makdad, Kathryn McClister, 
Jennifer Petrucci, Jason Schulties, Warren Thomas Smith, Ann Marie 
Strope, Leah West, Ashley Wilson and Holly Wilson.
  I would also like to extend my congratulations to their teachers, 
Mrs. Amy Reed-Moore and Ms. Betty Wyatt-Dix, who deserve much of the 
credit for the success of the team.
  The We the People . . . The Citizen and the Constitution program is 
the most extensive educational program in the country developed 
specifically to educate young students about the Constitution and the 
Bill of Rights. The three-day final competition they will participate 
in consists of hearings modeled after those in the United States 
Congress. The students made oral presentations before a panel of adult 
judges and testify as constitutional experts before a ``congressional 
committee.'' A panel of adult judges represent various regions of the 
country and a variety of appropriate professional fields served on the 
congressional committees. These judges follow up the testimonies with a 
series of questions designed to test the students' depth of 
understanding and their ability to apply constitutional knowledge to 
given situations.
  The We the People program is administered by the Center for Civic 
Education, and has provided curricular materials at upper elementary, 
middle and high school levels for more than 26.5 million students 
nationwide. This program has promoted civic competence and 
responsibility among young students as well as awareness for 
contemporary relevance of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
  The team from Lake Forest High School conducted much research in 
preparation for the national competition here in Washington, D.C. I 
congratulate them for their fine work that enabled them to come so far 
in this competition and to visit our nation's capital.

                          ____________________