[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 67 (Thursday, May 13, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S5469]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  WE THE PEOPLE: THE CITIZEN AND THE CONSTITUTION NATIONAL COMPETITION

 Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I would like to congratulate the 
students from Central Academy in Des Moines, IA, who participated in 
the ``We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution'' national finals 
in Washington, D.C. The annual competition is the culmination of the 
students' extensive study of the American system of constitutional 
democracy. The team from Central Academy won the State competition, 
earning the honor of representing Iowa in the national finals on May 1-
3. I am proud to say that performance of the Central Academy students 
in the national finals earned them the Regional Award for the central 
states, which is given to the best non-finalist team in each region. I 
offer my sincere congratulations to these exemplary students.
  I had the opportunity to meet with these students when they were in 
Washington. They are a remarkable group of politically engaged young 
people and I am proud to have had them representing Iowa during the 
national competition.
  The ``We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution'' program, run 
by the Center for Civic Education with the help of Federal funding, 
provides an outstanding curriculum that promotes civic competence and 
responsibility among elementary and secondary students. Students take 
away a solid understanding of the origin of American constitutional 
democracy as well as the contemporary relevance and application of our 
founding documents and ideals. In short, the We the People program 
produces better citizens.
  In closing, I would like to personally recognize the Central Academy 
students who participated in this program, Oliver Borzo, Andrew Dahm, 
Andrew Eilts, Becki Gell, Andrew Greiner, Sean Noonan, Carole Peterson, 
Paige Richards, Maura Walsh, Shannon Wenck, Emma White, Molly White, 
Christopher Woods, Ru-Huey Yen, Ru-Shyan Yen and their teacher, Michael 
Schaffer. They can all be very proud of their knowledge and 
accomplishments. I would also like to recognize the ``We the People'' 
district coordinator, Ivette Bender, and the State coordinator for 
Iowa, Linda Martin, for all their work in getting an Iowa team to the 
national finals.

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