[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 59 (Monday, May 3, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S4765]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 WE THE PEOPLE CIVIC EDUCATION PROGRAM

 Mr. DODD. Mr. President, today, and over the weekend, more 
than 1,200 students from across the United States came to Washington to 
take part in the national finals of ``We the People: The Citizen and 
the Constitution,'' the most extensive educational program in the 
country developed to educate our youth about the Constitution and the 
Bill of Rights. Administered by the Center for Civic Education, the We 
the People program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education 
through the No Child Left behind Act, passed into law just 2 years ago.
  I am proud to announce that a group of students from Trumbull, CT are 
in our Nation's Capital to represent my home State in this prestigious 
national event. These outstanding students, through their knowledge of 
the U.S. Constitution, won their statewide competition and earned the 
chance to come to Washington and compete at the national level.
  Modeled after hearings in Congress, the ``We the People National 
Finals Competition'' gives students an opportunity to demonstrate their 
knowledge of the Constitution and Bill of Rights before a panel of 
adult judges. Students evaluate, take and defend constitutional 
positions on relevant historical and contemporary issues, and are 
subject to a barrage of questions designed to further probe their depth 
of understanding as it relates to our ``founding documents.''
  Last year, Russell Berg, a student from Trumbull, testified at a 
Congressional hearing on civic education mentioning his participation 
in the ``We the People'' program. Russell said that civic education 
``is the key to comprehending, appreciating and eventually 
participating in our democratic process.'' I could not think of a 
greater endorsement for civic education in our schools. Clearly, an 
understanding of history and civics is critical to our ability as a 
nation to continue as a thriving, functioning democracy.
  Our Constitution is a great document, but it is neither a simple nor 
self-implementing one. For it to work, it requires an educated 
populace, and a populace that understands that American citizenship 
brings with it both great benefits and great responsibility. If we want 
to ensure that our society remains faithful to democracy, and its 
underlying ideals, we must teach our children what those ideals are. 
``We the People'' does just that.
  I applaud the achievements of all the students who qualified for this 
year's competition and all of those students who participated in local 
and State rounds of competition. We should all be proud that these 
students are learning and advocating the fundamental ideals that 
identify us as a people and bind us together as a nation.

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