>> EVEN THOUGH SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED, EAST HAMPTON HIGH SCHOOL
JUST CAME UP BIG, REALLY BIG, WINNING A NATIONAL CIVICS
CHAMPIONSHIP ENTITLED WE THE PEOPLE.
THE TEAM WON THE STATE IN JANUARY AND WAS SUPPOSED TO
TRAVEL TO WASHINGTON FOR NATIONALS, BUT INSTEAD THEY
SWEPT THE COMPETITION IN A CONTEST THAT WAS HELD VIA ZOOM.
CAROLEE MCGRATH SPOKE WITH KELLY BROWN, A HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT
TEACHER AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE WE THE PEOPLE PROGRAM TO LEARN
MORE. >> BACK IN JANUARY, WE THE
PEOPLE PROGRAM COMPETED IN MASSACHUSETTS, WE THE PEOPLE
CENTER FOR EDUCATION AND WE WON THE STATE COMPETITION WHICH MADE
US THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM MASSACHUSETTS AND WE WERE SLATED
TO TRAVEL TO WASHINGTON D.C. AT THE END OF APRIL TO COMPETE
AGAINST OTHER SCHOOLS. THIS IS ACTUALLY OUR THIRD YEAR
IN A ROW WINNING STATE, SO THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN OUR THIRD YEAR
IN A ROW TO GO TO WASHINGTON D.C.
BUT CLEARLY THINGS CHANGED AND THE COMPETITION BECAME DIGITAL.
SO ON THE WEEKEND OF APRIL 25 AND 26, MY STUDENTS COMPETED
VIRTUALLY IN THE NATIONAL WE THE PEOPLE COMPETITION, AND WE WON,
LIKE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS. AND IT'S ABSOLUTELY CRAZY, NEVER
IN A MILLION YEARS DID WE HOPE --
WE HOPED WE DO WELL. BUT IT'S A REALLY COMPETITIVE
PROGRAM AND NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS DID WE THINK THAT WE WIN,
AND WE DID. SO NOW WE'RE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS.
>> TELL ME A LITTLE ABOUT THE COMPETITION AND IF YOU COULD
BACK UP EVEN BEFORE THAT ABOUT THE WHOLE COURSE WORK THAT'S
INVOLVED. >> SURE.
SO THIS IS A COURSE THAT STUDENTS TAKE, IT'S 11TH AND
12TH GRADERS AT EASTHAMPTON ON THE HIGH SCHOOL.
AND THEY TAKE THE COURSE, IT FOCUSES ON UNDERSTANDING, AN
INDEPTH UNDERSTANDING OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION.
SO EVERYONE IN THE COURSE LEARNS ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION, KIND OF
FROM PHILOSOPHICAL AND HISTORICAL FOUNDATIONS ALL THE
WAY THROUGH TO MODERN APPLICATION.
AND THE WAY THAT THE COURSE ASSESSMENTS WORK IS THEY'RE IN
THE FORM OF WHAT WE WOULD CALL AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENTS AND WHAT
THAT MEANS IS THAT STUDENTS ENGAGE IN A MOCK CONGRESSIONAL
HEARING AT THE END OF EACH UNIT OF STUDY WHERE THEY WORK AS A
TEAM TO BECOME EXPERTS ABOUT CERTAIN TOPICS IN THAT UNIT, AND
THEY PREPARE A STATEMENT AND THEN THEY TESTIFY, I BRING IN
VOLUNTEERS FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THEY TESTIFY ABOUT THAT AND
THEN THEY ANSWER QUESTIONS ON THE SPOT THAT THEY DON'T KNOW.
AND SO WE DO THAT KIND OF AT THE END OF EACH UNIT.
AND THEN IN JANUARY WE ALWAYS COMPETE IN THE STATEWIDE
COMPETITION. SO THE CENTER FOR CIVIC
EDUCATION WHICH IS OUT OF CALIFORNIA DEVISES THIS
COMPETITION THAT HAPPENS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY WHERE HIGH
SCHOOL STUDENTS TESTIFY ABOUT CERTAIN SUBJECTS AND THEY ANSWER
QUESTIONS IN FRONT OF PROFESSIONALS IN THE FIELD OF
LAW AND CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY, ET CETERA.
I THINK LASTLY, MAYBE THE LAST PIECE TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND IS
THAT FOR THE COMPETITION ITSELF STUDENTS ARE BROKEN INTO SMALLER
GROUPS, SO I HAD 21 STUDENTS IN MY COURSE, SO EACH ONE IS PUT ON
A TEAM OF THREE OR FOUR. AND FOR THE STATE COMPETITION
AND THE NATIONAL COMPETITION THEY BECOME EXPERTS IN A
PARTICULAR AREA OF THE CONSTITUTION.
SO MY UNIT ONE TEAM FOCUSES ON HISTORICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL
FOUNDATIONS, AND SAY UNIT FIVE FOCUSES ON THE BILL OF RIGHTS.
SO THEY REALLY GET A SOUND KIND OF UNDERSTANDING IN THE COURSE,
AND THEN BY THE TIME WE GET TO THE COMPETITION THEY THEN BECOME
EXPERTS IN ONE PARTICULAR AREA. >> DO ALL OF THE KIDS COMPETE IN
THAT COMPETITION? >> YES.
AND THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I LOVE THIS PROGRAM,
IS THAT THIS IS NOT ABOUT CREATING SOME KIND OF DREAM
TEAM. THIS IS WHO EVER WALKS THROUGH
THAT DOOR, WE'RE GOING RAISE THE EXPECTATIONS AND REALLY PUSH
THOSE STUDENTS TO BE THE VERY BEST THEY CAN.
FOR ME I DON'T EVEN OFFER IT AS PART OF AN ADVANCED PLACEMENT
COURSE. ANYBODY AT EASTHAMPTON ON THE
HIGH SCHOOL THAT WANTS TO TAKE THE COURSE CAN.
SO I THINK OUR PROGRAM REALLY REPRESENTS WHAT THE CENTER FOR
CIVIC EDUCATION AND THE WE THE PEOPLE PROGRAM IS ABOUT.
>> SURE SOUNDS LIKE AN A.P. STRUCTURE THOUGH, AS FAR AS WHAT
THEY'RE LEARNING AND THE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES THEY HAVE TO DO.
>> YES, I THINK SO, BUT ONE OF THE REASONS I DON'T OFFER IT AS
AN A.P. COURSE IS THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF SKILLS THAT STUDENTS ARE
DEVELOPING IN THIS AND I REALLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE A DIVERSE
GROUP OF KIDS TO APPLY, NORTH APPLY, BUT TO TAKE TO COURSE.
FOR ME, OFFERING IT AS AN A.P. COURSE ACTUALLY DOES SORT OF
MAKES SOME STUDENTS AFRAID TO TAKE IT.
AND I THINK ANYBODY WHO GETS PASSIONATE ABOUT SOMETHING CAN
BE REALLY SKILLED AT IT. SO FOR ME THAT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT, THE COURSE IS OPEN TO EVERYBODY AND THAT I ENCOURAGE
STUDENTS FROM ALL DIFFERENT SKILL LEVELS AND KNOWLEDGE BASES
TO JOIN. >> WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT THAT
STUDENTS AND ADULTS, I FALL INTO THIS CATEGORY AS WELL,
UNDERSTAND THE CONSTITUTION? >> WELL, I THINK WE LIVE IN A
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC, THE FIRST THREE WORDS OF THE CONSTITUTION
AS IT SAYS ON MY SHIRT, ARE "WE THE PEOPLE." AND I THINK YOU
REALLY CAN'T HAVE A REPUBLIC THAT IS A SOCIAL CONTRACT
WITHOUT HAVING THE PEEL UNDERSTAND HOW YOUR GOVERNMENT
WORKS. AND I THINK FOR A COUPLE OF
DIFFERENT REASONS, ONE IS CLEARLY PARTICIPATION.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE BY VOTING.
BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO
UNDERSTAND A LOT OF THE VALUES THAT EXIST IN OUR DEMOCRATIC
SOCIAL CONTRACT. AND I THINK WE HAVE TO LEARN HOW
TO TALK TO EACH OTHER, WE NEED TO LEARN HOW TO LISTEN TO EACH
OTHER, CIVIL DISCOURSE IS A REALLY BIG EMPHASIS IN THIS
COURSE. STUDENTS NEED TO UNDERSTAND KIND
OF WHAT THE BASIS OF OUR GOVERNMENT IS.
THEY NEED TO LEARN HOW TO BE CIVICALLY ENGAGED IN THEIR OWN
COMMUNITIES WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS, AND I THINK THERE'S A
LOT -- THEY ALSO NEED TO BE WILLING TO
WATCH THEIR GOVERNMENT, RIGHT. PART OF BEING A RESPONSIBLE
CITIZEN IS BEING KNOWLEDGEABLE ENOUGH TO FILTER THE MEDIA AND
TO BE ABLE TO KEEP AN EYE ON WHAT'S HAPPENING.
AND WE TALK A LOT ABOUT THAT, THE FRAMERS WERE PRETTY
SKEPTICAL OF HUMAN NATURE. THEY WERE CONCERNED THAT IF WE
DIDN'T HAVE AN EDUCATED CITIZENRY THAT PEOPLE MAY TEND
TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEIR POWER.
>> IS THERE ANYTHING THAT SURPRISES YOU EACH TIME YOU TEAM
THIS COURSE, AS YOU HAVE DIFFERENT GROUPS OF KIDS COME IN
WITH DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES? >> I THINK ONE THING THAT
SURPRISES ME, I THINK, IS THAT IT ALWAYS AMAZES ME HOW
PASSIONATE THE STUDENTS BECOME ABOUT THE MATERIAL.
AND I THINK YOU COULD LOOK AT THE COURSE MATERIAL AND THINK,
WOW, THIS IS GOING TO BE REALLY BORING, LIKE WE'RE GOING TO READ
THE FEDERAL ITION PAPERS OR THEY'RE GOING TO KNOW THE U.S.
CONSTITUTION BY ARTICLE, SECTION AND CLAUSE.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING MOST TEENAGERS LOOK AT AND SAY I WANT
TO BE PART OF THAT. BUT WE HAVE CREATED A PROGRAM
WHERE STUDENTS ARE SAYING, LIKE I WANT TO BE PART OF THAT AND
PART OF IT IS, I THINK THE MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE YOU BECOME ABOUT
SOMETHING, THE MORE PASSIONATE, IT'S EASIER TO BE PASSIONATE
ABOUT IT. SO IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU KNOW A
LOT, THEN I THINK ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU START SEEING THESE
IDEAS POP UP EVERYWHERE AROUND YOU.
IT'S EASIER TO WANT TO FILTER AND FOLLOW AND REALLY TEST OUT
THE MEDIA WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND HOW TO DO IT.
SO I THINK IT HELPS STUDENTS TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY CAN BE
ACTIVE FILTERS OF WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND THEM AND THEY CAN
UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE NEWS, AND THEY CAN ALSO BE A
PART OF IT. AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING
ELSE THAT REALLY IMPASSIONS THEM TO THINK ABOUT WANTING TO GET
INVOLVED IN POLITICS OR GET INVOLVED IN EDUCATION, THOSE
TYPES OF THINGS. IT SURPRISES ME, EVEN THOUGH I
SEE IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN, IT SURPRISES ME EVERY TIME HOW
INCREDIBLY PASSIONATE THESE STUDENTS GET, ABOUT MATERIAL
THAT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY THINK IS NOT AS EXCITING AS,
SAY, WATCHING AND LEARNING ABOUT SPORTS OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT
PEOPLE FIND INTERESTING IN THEIR LIVES.
>> WHAT COULD YOU SAY ABOUT THE STUDENTS, OBVIOUSLY THEIR HARD
WORK PAID OFF AND THEIR PASSION, WHICH YOU CERTAINLY CAPTURE WITH
THIS MATERIAL, HAS REALLY TURNED INTO SOMETHING INCREDIBLE.
>> THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF QUICK THINGS I'D LIKE TO SAY ABOUT IT.
I THINK THE FIRST THAT IMPRESSED ME THE MOST ABOUT THIS GROUP IS
THEY REALLY KNEW HOW TO BE A TEAM.
I THINK IN ANY COMPETITION, STUDENTS ARE SOMETIMES FOCUSED
ON THEMSELVES, AND THE WAY IN WHICH THE GROUPS REALLY HELPED
AND ENCOURAGED EACH OTHER WAS PART OF WHAT HELPED US TO BE
SUCCESSFUL. THE OTHER THING I WANT TO SAY IS
THAT WHEN WE LEFT SCHOOL IN MARCH, WE KNEW THAT THIS WAS
GOING TO BE A VIRTUAL COMPETITION.
AND THESE STUDENTS COULD HAVE WALKED AWAY AND SAID OH I LOST
MY CHANCE TO GO TO D.C. THEY WERE BASICALLY THROWING OFF
ALL OF THE EXTRINSIC REWARDS. AND THEY COULD HAVE JUST DECIDED
THAT THEY DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT, BUT THEY KIND OF DID THE
OPPOSITE. THEY SPENT THREE HOURS WITH ME
EVERY SINGLE DAY PREPARING FOR THIS PROGRAM, AND I THINK REALLY
TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY.
AND I GUESS IT SHOWED ME THAT THEY REALLY WANTED TO BE
SUCCESSFUL FOR THE RIGHT REASONS, AND THAT TO ME WAS SUCH
AN EXCITING MOMENT. THEY WERE ALL SHOCKED, WE WERE
ALL SHOCKED WHEN WE WON. BUT THE COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE,
THE WE THE PEOPLE COMMUNITY THAT'S MADE UP OF THE CURRENT
STUDENTS BUT THEN ALL OF OUR ALUMS WHO WERE HOME FROM COLLEGE
AND WERE JOINING OUR ZOOM SESSIONS TO HELP US AND ALL THE
COMMUNITY MEMBER THAT WERE BEHIND US, JUST A REALLY COOL
THING THAT I'M VERY, VERY PROUD TO BE A PART OF.
AND IT REALLY IS A COMMUNITY EFFORT.
IT'S NOT ME, IT'S NOT ANY ONE STUDENT, IT'S A WHOLE COMMUNITY
THAT WE'VE CREATED OF PEOPLE THAT FEEL REALLY PASSIONATE
ABOUT THIS.