We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution
Encyclopedia
We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution, sponsored by the Center for Civic Education, is a yearly competition for American high school students held in Washington D.C. The competition is styled as a congressional hearing
Congressional hearing
Congressional hearings are the principal formal method by which committees collect and analyze information in the early stages of legislative policymaking. Whether confirmation hearings — a procedure unique to the Senate — legislative, oversight, investigative, or a combination of these, all...

. Each team is divided up into six units, each composed of three or more students. Each unit focuses on a particular area of Constitutional interest - from the philosophical underpinnings and Constitutional Convention
Philadelphia Convention
The Constitutional Convention took place from May 14 to September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to address problems in governing the United States of America, which had been operating under the Articles of Confederation following independence from...

 to modern day implications.

In preparation for the competition, each unit prepares three four-minute speeches in response to formal prompts. On the day of the competition each unit will be asked to present one of their speeches and a panel of three judges will have a six minute questioning period to ask follow-up questions.

In order to qualify for the national competition, a team must win its state championship. The national competition takes place over three days, with only the top ten teams from the first two days advancing to the final day. At the national competition, each unit will present two of their speeches over the first two days of competition. The teams with the ten highest combined scores advance to the final round on the third day. These ten teams present their third speech. Beginning in 2010, the top ten awards are determined by combining the scores from the first two days with the final round score, with the final round score weighted more. In previous years, the first two days' scores were not counted toward the top ten rankings.

According to the Center for Civic Education, "Since the inception of the We the People program in 1987, more than 28 million students and 90 thousand educators have participated." More than 1,200 students participate in the national competition each year.

2011 Results

National Winners


1st Place: Virginia

2nd Place: California

3rd Place: New Jersey



Honorable Mention

(top ten)


4th Place: Alabama

5th Place: Michigan

6th Place: Colorado

7th Place: Oregon

8th Place: North Carolina

9th Place: Illinois

10th Place: Indiana



Unit Awards

Best non-finalist team for expertise in each unit of competition

Unit 1: Missouri

Unit 2: Rhode Island

Unit 3: South Dakota

Unit 4: New York

Unit 5: Washington

Unit 6: Kansas



Regional Awards

Best non-finalist team from each region

Western States: Alaska

Mountains/Plains States: New Mexico

Central States: Kentucky

Southeastern States: South Carolina

Northeastern States: Connecticut

2010 Results

National Winners


1st Place: California

2nd Place: Alabama

3rd Place: Virginia



Honorable Mention

(top ten)


4th Place: Oregon

5th Place: Colorado

6th Place: New Jersey

7th Place: Florida

8th Place: Indiana

9th Place: Westminster Christian Academy, St. Louis, Missouri

10th Place: Wisconsin



Unit Awards

Best non-finalist team for expertise in each unit of competition

Unit 1: Utah

Unit 2: Connecticut

Unit 3: Arizona

Unit 4: Vermont

Unit 5: Washington

Unit 6: Alaska



Regional Awards

Best non-finalist team from each region

Western States: Nevada

Mountains/Plains States: New Mexico

Central States: Michigan

Southeastern States: North Carolina

Northeastern States: New York

2009 Results

National Winners' Awards


1st Place: Colorado

2nd Place: Alabama

3rd Place: California



Honorable Mention

(top ten)


4th Place: Virginia

New Jersey

Indiana

Florida

Oregon

Michigan

Connecticut



Unit Awards

Best non-finalist team for expertise in each unit of competition

Unit 1: Nevada

Unit 2: New York

Unit 3: New Hampshire

Unit 4: Alaska

Unit 5: Wisconsin

Unit 6: Texas



Regional Awards

Best non-finalist team from each region

Western States: Arizona

Mountains/Plains States: New Mexico

Central States: Missouri

Southeastern States: North Carolina

Northeastern States: Vermont

2011 National Competition

  • 1st: Maggie L. Walker Governor's School, Richmond, Virginia
  • 2nd: Amador Valley High School
    Amador Valley High School
    Amador Valley High School is a public high school in Pleasanton, California, USA, a city east of San Francisco. Amador Valley is one of four high schools in the Pleasanton Unified School District, which includes Foothill High School, Village High School, and Horizon High School. The school was...

    , Pleasanton, California
  • 3rd: East Brunswick High School
    East Brunswick High School
    East Brunswick High School is a comprehensive public high school serving students in grades 10 through 12 in East Brunswick Township, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, operating as part of East Brunswick Public Schools. The school was recognized by the Blue Ribbon Schools Program in the 1990-91...

    , East Brunswick, New Jersey

2010 National Competition

  • 1st: Arcadia High School
    Arcadia High School (Arcadia, California)
    Arcadia High School is a part of the Arcadia Unified School District and is a four-year comprehensive secondary school located on a site in Arcadia, California. Their motto is"Our Caring Makes a Difference."...

    , Arcadia, California
  • 2nd: Vestavia Hills High School
    Vestavia Hills High School
    Vestavia Hills High School , founded in 1970, is a public high school in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. Part of the Vestavia Hills School System, the high school is known for the success of its band, math, debate, "We the People" Team, Economics Challenge Team, American football,...

    , Vestavia Hills, Alabama
  • 3rd: Maggie L. Walker Governor's School, Richmond, Virginia

2009 National Competition

  • 1st: East High School, Denver, Colorado
  • 2nd: Vestavia Hills High School
    Vestavia Hills High School
    Vestavia Hills High School , founded in 1970, is a public high school in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. Part of the Vestavia Hills School System, the high school is known for the success of its band, math, debate, "We the People" Team, Economics Challenge Team, American football,...

    , Vestavia Hills, Alabama
  • 3rd: Amador Valley High School
    Amador Valley High School
    Amador Valley High School is a public high school in Pleasanton, California, USA, a city east of San Francisco. Amador Valley is one of four high schools in the Pleasanton Unified School District, which includes Foothill High School, Village High School, and Horizon High School. The school was...

    , Pleasanton, California

2008 National Competition

  • 1st: East High School, Denver, Colorado
  • 2nd: Maggie L. Walker Governor's School, Richmond, Virginia
  • 3rd: Grant High School, Portland, Oregon

2007 National Competition

  • 1st: East High School, Denver, Colorado
  • 2nd: Amador Valley High School
    Amador Valley High School
    Amador Valley High School is a public high school in Pleasanton, California, USA, a city east of San Francisco. Amador Valley is one of four high schools in the Pleasanton Unified School District, which includes Foothill High School, Village High School, and Horizon High School. The school was...

    , Pleasanton, California
  • 3rd: Grant High School, Portland, Oregon

2006 National Competition

  • 1st: East Brunswick High School
    East Brunswick High School
    East Brunswick High School is a comprehensive public high school serving students in grades 10 through 12 in East Brunswick Township, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, operating as part of East Brunswick Public Schools. The school was recognized by the Blue Ribbon Schools Program in the 1990-91...

    , East Brunswick, New Jersey
  • 2nd: Amador Valley High School
    Amador Valley High School
    Amador Valley High School is a public high school in Pleasanton, California, USA, a city east of San Francisco. Amador Valley is one of four high schools in the Pleasanton Unified School District, which includes Foothill High School, Village High School, and Horizon High School. The school was...

    , Pleasanton, California
  • 3rd: East High School, Denver, Colorado

2005 National Competition

  • 1st: East Brunswick High School
    East Brunswick High School
    East Brunswick High School is a comprehensive public high school serving students in grades 10 through 12 in East Brunswick Township, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, operating as part of East Brunswick Public Schools. The school was recognized by the Blue Ribbon Schools Program in the 1990-91...

    , East Brunswick, New Jersey
  • 2nd: Grant High School, Portland, Oregon
  • 3rd: Maggie L. Walker Governor's School, Richmond, Virginia

2004 National Competition

  • 1st: East Brunswick High School
    East Brunswick High School
    East Brunswick High School is a comprehensive public high school serving students in grades 10 through 12 in East Brunswick Township, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, operating as part of East Brunswick Public Schools. The school was recognized by the Blue Ribbon Schools Program in the 1990-91...

    , East Brunswick, New Jersey
  • 2nd: Maggie L. Walker Governor's School, Richmond, Virginia
  • 3rd: Grant High School, Portland, Oregon

2003 National Competition

  • 1st: Maggie L. Walker Governor's School, Richmond, Virginia
  • 2nd: Our Lady of Lourdes Academy
    Our Lady of Lourdes Academy
    Our Lady of Lourdes Academy is a Roman Catholic, all-girls high school in Miami, Florida founded in 1963.It is run by the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters. Lourdes has a long standing tradition in both academics and athletics.The current principal is Sister Kathryn Donze IHM Lourdes was named one...

    , Miami, Florida
  • 3rd: East Brunswick High School
    East Brunswick High School
    East Brunswick High School is a comprehensive public high school serving students in grades 10 through 12 in East Brunswick Township, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, operating as part of East Brunswick Public Schools. The school was recognized by the Blue Ribbon Schools Program in the 1990-91...

    , East Brunswick, New Jersey


National Champions
  • 2002 Dobson High School, Mesa, Arizona
  • 2001 Our Lady of Lourdes Academy, Miami Florida
  • 2000 Our Lady of Lourdes Academy, Miami Florida
  • 1999 Maine South High School, Park Ridge, Illinois
  • 1998 East Brunswick High School, East Brunswick, NJ
  • 1997 Our Lady of Lourdes, Miami, FL
  • 1996 Lincoln High School, Portland, OR
  • 1995 Amador Valley High School, Pleasanton, CA
  • 1994 Our Lady of Lourdes Academy, Miami, FL
  • 1993 Arcadia High School, Arcadia, CA
  • 1992 East High School, Denver, CO
  • 1991 Lincoln High School, Portland, OR
  • 1990 Lincoln High School, Portland, OR
  • 1989 Lincoln Southeast High School, Lincoln, NE
  • 1988 Gompers Secondary School, San Diego, CA

External links

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