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Kevin B. Harrington Award for Excellence in Democracy Education
 Sponsored by the National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) Trust for Representative Democracy, the award is given annually to an individual or organization for advancing public understanding of state or local level representative democracy. Eligible recipients include lawmakers, legislative staff, chambers or entire legislatures, individuals or organizations. The deadline for nominations is May 10, 2013. More
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Database Correlates Trust and Back to School Materials to State Curriculum Standards
 The NCSL Trust for Representative Democracy has developed a database that correlates all of the Americas Legislators Back to School Program resource materials and Trust lesson plans to state curriculum standards. More
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"The Citizen"
 America's Legislators Back to School Program is pleased to present our newest video, The Citizen! Join the Citizen in a journey to learn about our republic and the roles and responsibilities of citizens. More
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The American Democracy Game
 Through the American Democracy game, you can put yourself in the shoes of a lawmaker and find out what it is like to deal with public policy issues. This new online game, developed by NCSL's Trust for Representative Democracy, is designed for middle school students and includes teacher guides and information. More
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Overview
A Bold Initiative Committed to Democracy
The Trust for Representative Democracy is a bold civic education campaign designed to engage citizens and build their understanding and support for America's democratic institutions. Based on the ideas and fundamental principles set forth by the framers of the Constitution, the Trust for Representative Democracy promotes civic engagement and dispels cynicism toward government.
Citizens of all ages who aspire to promote the free exchange of ideas, confront and solve the critical issues of our time, and help make our nation a better place in which to live benefit from the Trust for Representative Democracy. The Trust instills the values of representative democracy, clarifies the democratic process and encourages Americans to play a responsible role in their government.
Founded in 2000 by the National Conference of State Legislatures, the Trust has reached more than 2 million children, has been embraced by lawmakers across the nation, has taken the pulse of American attitudes toward government and has demonstrated the need for civic education. The Trust, through its numerous programs, has positively influenced national opinions on representative democracy and has been actively involved in promoting public policies that strengthen the civic mission of schools. The Trust has achieved great success since its inception and has created an ambitious program for the future.
The programs include:
America's Legislators Back to School Program
This program gives young people the opportunity to meet personally with their elected state lawmakers and hear the message that Your Ideas Count! Thousands of legislators have come into the classroom to share ideas and explore legislative concepts with students. Lawmakers learn first hand what young people are thinking and how they feel about issues that affect their lives. Students, in turn, gain valuable insight into the legislative process and the debate, negotiation and compromise that are the foundation of our democracy. They come away with a greater understanding of the role of legislators, and of their own role as future voters. The Trust reaches out to teachers through online lesson plans and training workshops.
American Democracy Television
American Democracy Television (ADTV) provides a one-stop source for quality, non-partisan programming about representative democracy. ADTV is a virtual network offering broadcast products nationally through the use of Public, Education and Government access channels to broadcast a growing portfolio of programs. The Trust, the Center on Congress at Indiana University and the Center for Civic Education offer public service announcements and video programming to link people and their ideas to government.
Project Citizen
Project Citizen is an innovative national academic competition for students designed to involve them in solving community problems. By focusing on real-life concerns and problems, students learn practical ways to participate actively and responsibly in state and local government. It is co-sponsored by the Trust and the Center for Civic Education.
Additional Programs
The Trust is part of the Alliance for Representative Democracy, a partnership of the Trust, the Center for Civic Education and the Center on Congress at Indiana University. The Alliance is working together on "Representative Democracy in America: Voices of the People," a national project designed to reinvigorate and educate Americans on the critical relationship between government and the people it serves.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education by Act of Congress and the Foundation for State Legislatures.
Karl Kurtz, Director
Jan Goehring, Program Director
Trust for Representative Democracy
National Conference of State Legislatures
7700 East First Place
Denver, CO 80230
(303) 364-7700
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We the People ... Project Citizen
A portfolio-based civic education project presented by the Center for Civic Education and NCSL
 
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.
14th Annual Showcase Levels of Achievement:
Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia were represented at the 14th 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
13th Annual Showcase Levels of Achievement:
Forty-eight states, the District of Columbia and Guam were represented at the 13th 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
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National Polls
The Alliance for Representative Democracy, consisting of the National Conference of State Legislatures, the Center for Civic Education and the Center on Congress at Indiana University, periodically conduct national public opinion surveys on attitudes toward democratic institutions, specifically Congress and state legislatures.
The results of first poll, conducted in 2003, are summarized in Citizenship a Challenge for All Generations. The survey showed that young people do not understand the ideals of citizenship, they are disengaged from the political process, they lack the knowledge necessary for effective self government and their appreciation and support for of American democracy is limited. The report does provide evidence that civic education makes a difference in attitudes toward citizenship, knowledge and civic engagement of young people.
The second poll was conducted in partnership with the Alliance and the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools in 2004. The report, From Classroom to Citizen: American Attitudes on Civic Education, shows that the public believes that educating young people about democracy should be a central mission of schools. Yet, most Americans fell that public schools are not fulfilling this mission and are not doing an adequate job preparing students to become engaged, active citizens.
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American Democracy Television (ADTV)
American Democracy Television (ADTV)
The American Democracy Television virtual network provides quality, timely and flexible video programs that public, education and government channels, public access stations, statewide networks and others can use to engage citizens with their representative government.
Through a nonpartisan alliance of civic education groups, ADTV offers a series of free programs in all broadcast formats. Topics include:
- How representative democracy works at the local, state and national level
- How compromise and disagreement are an important part of our system of democracy
- How citizens' ideas and special interests are represented
American Democracy Television is made possible by the Alliance for Representative Democracy, a partnership combining the resources of: The National Conference of State Legislatures, Trust for Representative Democracy, the Center for Civic Education and the Center on Congress at Indiana University.
This project is funded by the U.S. Department of Education under the Education for Democracy Act approved by the U.S. Congress.
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Main Content Headilne 1
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Quisque ornare risus quis ligula. Phasellus tristique purus a augue condimentum adipiscing. Aenean sagittis. Etiam leo pede, rhoncus venenatis, tristique in, vulputate at, odio. Donec et ipsum et sapien vehicula nonummy. Suspendisse potenti. Fusce varius urna id quam. Sed neque mi, varius eget, tincidunt nec, suscipit id, libero. In eget purus. Vestibulum ut nisl. Donec eu mi sed turpis feugiat feugiat. Integer turpis arcu, pellentesque eget, cursus et, fermentum ut, sapien. Fusce metus mi, eleifend sollicitudin, molestie id, varius et, nibh. Donec nec libero.
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Praesent aliquam, justo convallis luctus rutrum, erat nulla fermentum diam, at nonummy quam ante ac quam. Maecenas urna purus, fermentum id, molestie in, commodo porttitor, felis. Nam blandit quam ut lacus. Quisque ornare risus quis ligula. Phasellus tristique purus a augue condimentum adipiscing. Aenean sagittis. Etiam leo pede, rhoncus venenatis, tristique in, vulputate at, odio.
Quisque ornare risus quis ligula. Phasellus tristique purus a augue condimentum adipiscing. Aenean sagittis. Etiam leo pede, rhoncus venenatis, tristique in, vulputate at, odio. Donec et ipsum et sapien vehicula nonummy. Suspendisse potenti. Fusce varius urna id quam. Sed neque mi, varius eget, tincidunt nec, suscipit id, libero. In eget purus. Vestibulum ut nisl. Donec eu mi sed turpis feugiat feugiat. Integer turpis arcu, pellentesque eget, cursus et, fermentum ut, sapien. Fusce metus mi, eleifend sollicitudin, molestie id, varius et, nibh. Donec nec libero.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Praesent aliquam, justo convallis luctus rutrum, erat nulla fermentum diam, at nonummy quam ante ac quam. Maecenas urna purus, fermentum id, molestie in, commodo porttitor, felis. Nam blandit quam ut lacus.
H2 level heading Healine 2
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Praesent aliquam, justo convallis luctus rutrum, erat nulla fermentum diam, at nonummy quam ante ac quam. Maecenas urna purus, fermentum id, molestie in, commodo porttitor, felis. Nam blandit quam ut lacus. Quisque ornare risus quis ligula. Phasellus tristique purus a augue condimentum adipiscing. Aenean sagittis. Etiam leo pede, rhoncus venenatis, tristique in, vulputate at, odio.
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Issues & Resources
Find the NCSLstaff member who handles the issue in which you are interested.
NCSLprovides access to current state and federal legislation and a comprehensive list of state documents, including state statutes, constitutions, legislative audits and research reports.
Members
As legislators and legislative staff, you are part of the nation's largest, most influential and only bipartisan organization of state legislators and staff.Learn about the resources NCSL has for you.
NCSL offers an array of services for legislative staff. Find out what's available.
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