Page 37 - ACTL Journal Fall24

The Manager of Student and Teacher Programs at the Cen- ter asked that we share the following:
“I want to take one more opportunity to thank you all for do- nating your time and expertise to make this program work. We simply could not do this without you, and I know the students and teachers we work with are very thankful to have the chance to speak with you about these Constitutional topics. It has been an honor and a pleasure to work with and learn from all of you this year, and I look forward to continuing this work in the future.” - Kevin Lynch
The program relies on volunteer judges, attorneys, histori- ans, and educators to engage virtually via Zoom with classes of middle school, high school, and college students to dis- cuss selected constitutional topics throughout the year. The goal is to promote student engagement and increase student knowledge about various constitutional topics, and to pro- mote non-partisan understanding of current events through the use of constitutional questions as opposed to political questions. The classes are interactive to further engage the students and foster an environment conducive to student voice and discovery.
Typical topics include the American Revolution, the struc- ture of the Constitution, Federalism and Separation of Pow- ers, the Bill of Rights, The Fourteenth Amendment, Article III, and Landmark Cases. The Center develops the content and handles the logistics of scheduling, advertising the pro- grams and matching the appropriate scholar. Because the forty-five-minute classes are offered throughout the year
and scholars do not have to commit to a presentation un- til two weeks in advance, the scholar’s time commitment is minimal and flexible, making it ideal for trial lawyers with unpredictable schedules.
As we look forward to the upcoming school year, we are working with the Center to arrange training sessions for new volunteer scholars and an update will be sent when the training sessions are confirmed. You also have the oppor- tunity to observe classes prior to scheduling a presentation. If you are interested in becoming a scholar or would like more information, please email ACTL Outreach Commit- tee members Kayce Gisinger (klgisinger@phillipsmurrah. com) or Craig Merritt (cmerritt@merrittfirm.com) for as- sistance in becoming involved. More information about the program is also available on the ACTL website at www.actl. com/civics.
Thanks in advance for your willingness to serve the College as we strive to make the scholar program even bigger and better next year!
The NCC program is a gem. The materials prepared by the staff are thoroughly researched, comprehensive and in depth. The students were also incredibly prepared and knowledgeable about Constitutional history. It was a wonderful experience and I am in it for the long haul.
— Jim Burke
Fellow from Cincinnati
The students are inquisitive and engaged, their teachers are app- reciative, and Kevin Lynch, the coordinator for the NCC, makes preparation for and presentation of the programs easy. Civics education in the US is nowhere close to what it needs to be, and this program is a step toward trial lawyer, it’s pretty unusual for my cases to be focused on Con- stitutional issues so participating in this effort has been educational time and it’s only a small give
— Mike Bradley
Fellow from San Francisco
Kayce Gisinger Oklahoma City, OK
NCC’s prep makes it easy to give a cogent and well researched presentation. It was a great learning experience. Hopefully as good an experience for the stu- dents as it was for me. The ben- our youth on the history and reasons for the establishment by the founders of our system of government, are essential to our democracy. I’m very fortunate to be part of this effort!
— Larry Wobbrock
Fellow from Lake Oswego
experience, and I plan to contin- ue next semester. Preparing to present each class was a great opportunity to refresh my own knowledge of our constitution. And questions from the students during classes were always thought-provoking. It’s a plea- sure to help guide the students to a deeper appreciation of our constitutional structure, history and values.
— Kevin Murphy
Fellow from Washington, DC
FALL 2024 JOURNAL 36
This program is an excellent opportunity for Fellows to help further the College’s goal to increase civics education, so please consider giving some of your time to assist in this important endeavor if you have not already done so. Collectively as a College and individually as Fellows we can make a meaningful difference, now and for future generations to come.