ST. LUCIE COUNTY – Seventh grade problem solvers from across the District will converge on the Kight Center at IRSC on Friday, January 20 to compete for top marks on their ideas influencing change in public policy as they present their Project Citizen proposals. The judging will take place from 9 AM to noon by a host of local dignitaries.
Project Citizen is an annual Civics showcase whereby students in Civics classes work in teams, identify a public policy problem in their community, research the problem, and after evaluating possible solutions to the problem, propose a public policy that could serve as the solution. At the local level of competition, the solutions are well documented in a portfolio, and the policy is shared with a committee of community leaders using a display board along with a verbal presentation. Teams of local judges score the entries according to a well-defined rubric that takes into account academic content, presentation, and research. The top scoring projects proceed to the state level competition in the Spring.
We the People: Project Citizen is an annual academic event organized by Florida Law Related Education, Inc. which explains the project as “a curricular program for upper elementary and secondary students designed and published by the Center for Civic Education (CCE) that promotes competent and responsible participation in local and state government. The program helps participants learn how to monitor and influence public policy. In the process, they develop support for democratic values and principles, tolerance, and feelings of political efficacy.”
About St. Lucie Public Schools
The mission of St. Lucie Public Schools is to ensure all students graduate from safe and caring schools equipped with the knowledge, skills and desire to succeed. For more information visit, www.stlucieschools.org or contact Kerry Padrick at kerry.padrick@stlucieschools.org.
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