We the People: Project Citizen is a project based civic education program for middle and high school students. It emphasizes responsible participation in local and state government. The program involves students in understanding public policy. In the process students develop an appreciation and feelings of civic empowerment.

Entire classes of students can work cooperatively in small groups to effect change in their community. A process is used here the students identify a problem area. They then research the problem, evaluate alternative solutions, and create a political action plan to enlist local or state authorities to change, or develop a policy. Participants develop a portfolio of their work, and present their work in a hearing of civic-minded community members.

Project Citizen is a program of the Center for Civic Education, funded by Congressional appropriation, administered in New Jersey through the New Jersey Center for Civic and Law Related Education with the assistance of Congressional district coordinators for each Congressional district in the state.

The Project Citizen curriculum focuses on the role of the state and local governments. It involves a whole class of middle and high school students in cooperative leaning activities that are guided by their teachers. Students learn how to interact with government agencies to effect change by following the following steps:

• Identifying a problem in their community that requires a public policy solution
• Gathering and evaluating information on the problem
• Examining and evaluating alternative solutions
• Developing a proposed public policy to address the problem
• Developing an action plan to get their policy adopted by government

Upcoming events include:

• Project Citizen Middle School Portfolio Showcase, May 30, 2008 at the Busch Campus Center of Rutgers University, Piscatway, NJ
• Project Citizen Summer Institute, July 14-20, 2008, Salve Regina University, Newport, RI
• Project Citizen Professional Development Workshop, January 14, 2009, New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, NJ

SEE "WORKSHOPS AND INSTITUTES" FOR FURTHER INFORMATION