We the People ... Project Citizen

The Center for Civic Education's We the People: Project Citizen is a curricular program for middle, secondary and post-secondary students, youth organizations, and adult groups 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.

Entire classes of students or members of youth or adult organizations work cooperatively to identify a public policy problem in their community. They then research the problem, evaluate alternative solutions, develop their own solution in the form of a public policy, and create a political action plan to enlist local or state authorities to adopt their proposed policy. Participants develop a portfolio of their work and present their project in a public hearing showcase before a panel of civic-minded community members. These experts evaluate the projects. 

Annual National Project Citizen Showcase

The classroom winners from each state-level showcase receive the honor of representing their state at the Annual National Project Citizen Showcase held each year during the NCSL Legislative Summit. Members of state legislatures, legislative staff, educators, attorneys, and other interested citizens from around the country serve as portfolio evaluators in this prestigious showcase.

14^th Annual Showcase Levels of Achievement:

Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia were represented at the 14^th Annual National Showcase in Louisville, Kentucky in July 2010.

Superior  Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin

Exceptional  Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Wyoming

Outstanding  Kansas, Missouri, Pennsylvania

Honorable Mention New Hampshire

13^th Annual Showcase Levels of Achievement:

Forty-eight states, the District of Columbia and Guam were represented at the 13^th Annual National Showcase in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in July 2009.

Superior   Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota

Exceptional  Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Outstanding  Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah