We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution

"We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution" is a nationally acclaimed program that helps students understand the history and principles of our Constitution and Bill of Rights. The program is available to students and teachers from public and private schools anywhere in the United States. We the People is administered nationally by the Center for Civic Education, the Center for the Constitution at James Madison's Montpelier is proud to be the host of the program in Virginia.

Through We the People, teachers can obtain classroom sets of textbooks appropriate to the grade level they teach. The books are user friendly and easily adaptable to any classroom, and fit well with Virginia's Standards of Learning. Classroom sets are provided free of charge to teachers who attend the Montpelier We the People Summer Seminar held at James Madison's Montpelier each July. Montpelier can also send certified trainers to your school system to contribute to your professional development programs. Best of all, through the support of the Center for Civic Education and the Center for the Constitution, these resources are provided to any Virginia teacher at no cost to themselves or their school.

...these resources are provided to any Virginia teacher at no cost to themselves or their school.

The program's culminating activity is the simulated congressional hearing, in which students are given the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge while they evaluate, take, and defend positions on relevant historical and contemporary issues. Preparation for the hearing encourages the development of important skills in research, oral presentation, and teamwork. Teachers can use the hearing in their classrooms, and at the high school level they have the opportunity to bring a class to the Virginia We the People Virginia State Competition, held annually.

The Center for the Constitution at James Madison's Montpelier will host a weekend seminar on the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum for middle and high school teachers on November 21-23, 2008.

Room and board will be provided at not cost to the teachers. Travel reimbursement is also available. Teachers will receive a full classroom set of We the People textbooks.

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For further information please use the links above, or in the navigation menu to the left, or contact the Virginia We the People State Coordinator at the following address:

For email contact, please use our contact form and select "We the People."