The We The People program has affected my life in so many ways. While I was participating in the program, I was able to learn more than I could have ever expected. It pushed me to learn and grow more than I thought was possible - and sometimes to what felt like was my limit! But that is something I am still grateful for today. I was able to recognize and learn about various topics, many of which concerned people that had different beliefs and backgrounds than I do. However, that was what made it so amazing. Learning to understand the situations of others, gaining perspective/putting myself in their shoes, and forming my own opinions surrounding many different political issues and personal values has since been one of the greatest things I have learned to do in my life.

You begin to look at people with "new eyes" when you begin to gain understanding surrounding the situation they are in and the issues and topics that concern and affect them. This helped me then, helped me while I was living in a foreign country for a year and a half doing everything I could to understand the people, and I am confident will continue to help me for the rest of my life. We the People did help me feel confident and much more comfortable discussing politics and the constitution with others (although I may need a refresher course soon!) I still feel like when it comes to politics, if it weren't for my time in WTP, then I wouldn't even be able to participate in an educated conversation about politics. WTP did not just change the way I looked at the world. It helped influence the way I do. WTP changed my life and I hope it will continue to change the lives of the students who are lucky enough to be involved in it.

-Marci Baldwin

I went to a top rated law school with a full ride scholarship almost entirely because of this program. It has inspired a life long love of constitutional law and has helped me with many of the skills I need in my current career. It taught me how to communicate complex topics clearly and how to work well with team members. It also inspired a reverence for constitutional that i think makes me a better law enforcement officer.

-Devon Beeney

We The People was the best part of my Senior Year of high school, and probably the best thing of my high school experience outside of competitive debate. I felt that the We The People program was one of the few things in high school that really challenged me academically, and taught me subject matter in a way that was engaging and applicable, rather than simply learning information to spit back out on a test. After We The People I feel much more confident discussing politics and the constitution with others, and it served as a springboard for me to delve deeper into constitutional law and questions of political theory. We The People also helped illustrate the problem of civic education (or lack thereof) in our country today, and helped me to be more motivated regarding civic engagement and civic education.

- Carter Martindale

We the People was the most significant and important program I could have ever participated in as a youth. I didn't have the GPA to get into WTP but I so badly wanted to participate. Thanks to Terrel Baldwin and Mike Rigby, I was able to participate. Within the first few days, I made the goal to win the national unit award at the end of the year. Nothing could stop me and eventually, my unit. As fate would have it, we did just that. That was a watershed moment in my life. I was addicted. I knew I could accomplish ANYTHING I was determined to chase. Three years later, I was an intern for the House of Representatives which led to being an aide in the US Senate. This is just the beginning, I plan to do great things for this country- it all started with We the People. Truly life-changing, I will be forever grateful for my time in it.

- Riley Smith

We The People has completely transformed my learning experience. It taught me far more valuable things than just course work. This program helped me develop essential skills like research, public speaking, and critical thinking. Not only do I feel confident in discussing politics and the constitution, but it also helped me feel confident in respectfully disagreeing with others and defending my point of view. The education and skills I learned from this program changed how I look at the world and I understand much about the government and constitution than my work associates who did not have the chance to participate in this program. This program has not only helped me academically but I also had the opportunity to connect with all different types of individuals who different view points and it's helped me grow as an individual.

- Holly Lemon

I had a fantastic experience with the actual competition of We the People. The studying that led up to it was not the greatest, I found I was more stressed than I've ever been before, and I still didn't score very well on the tests, but once I knew which unit I was doing I threw myself into it and my group ended up doing really well. I love public speaking/debate, and my group's judges were very nice to us and gave us generous scores, considering that we presented as a priori, information that they explained to us was incorrect. After the fact, I find that I'm more familiar with the constitution, and I'm more comfortable sharing my political views and more interested in the news; I've gone from never reading the news at all (because we don't have a TV) to reading the news on a regular basis, although I don't enjoy it because I find it overall quite depressing. I think this program has led me to substantial improvement in making logical arguments and politely disagreeing with other people's arguments.

- Elisabeth

Thank you for considering volunteering for We The People State Competition! We couldn't do it without you!

Judges

Thank you for volunteering to serve as a judge at a We the People hearing or competition. To a large extent the quality of a simulated congressional hearing is dependent upon the expertise and demeanor of the judges. Please review the We the People textbook(s) and resources listed below. To suit local needs the We the People program allows for variations in hearing implementation at the school, congressional district, state and national levels. Therefore, procedures may differ slightly depending upon your state and the grade level. Consult your We the People State Coordinator for local procedures.

• Instructions for Judges
• Reminders for Judges
• Scoring Criteria Descriptions
• Scoring Guide
• Sample Scoring Sheet

Facilitators

Facilitators are who make the Competitions run smoothly and on time. They have the main responsibility of playing host to each hearing, helping students feel calm and confident, beginning and concluding hearings and moving judges to their next hearing on time. 

• Facilitator Responsibilities

Timers

• Time Responsibilities

Intent to Compete Form

High School

District vs State Competition 

A District Competition will be held when more than 2 schools within the same congressional district wish to compete in the We The People State Competition IF the total number of prospective schools wishing to compete at State exceeds 6. When this happens, a District Competition will be held within the participating schools’ congressional district. The winning school will move on to compete in the State Competition.

The State Competition is held every spring and is hosted by Utah Law Related Education. There are two separate competitions, one for High School and one for Middle School.  A maximum of six schools will compete at each competition.

• Rules
• How to Conduct a Competition
• Hearing Questions
• Resources

Middle School Rules

District vs State Competition

A District Competition will be held when more than 2 schools within the same congressional district wish to compete in the We The People State Competition IF the total number of prospective schools wishing to compete at State exceeds 6. When this happens, a District Competition will be held within the participating schools’ congressional district. The winning school will move on to compete in the State Competition. 

The State Competition is held every spring and is hosted by Utah Law Related Education. There are two separate competitions, one for High School and one for Middle School. A maximum of six schools will compete at each competition. 

• How to Conduct a Competition
• Hearing Questions
• Resources

Elementary School

Hearing Questions

Volunteer to Help with Competitions

Student Tours at Scott M. Matheson Courthouse

Court tours are available at the Scott M. Matheson Courthouse in Salt Lake City.

Your Day In Court is a publication used in elementary and secondary schools as a guide when studying the Utah court system in law-related education classes and when preparing to visit the courts. It was developed by the Utah Law Related Education and the Administrative Office of the Courts. 

Your Day in Court

Mentoring

Attorneys donate time to visit with elementary, junior high, and senior high school students. The purpose of the program is to provide a forum for the exchange of practical information about the legal rights and responsibilities of students and stimulate dialogue regarding current civic issues.

Speaker Request

Judges and court executives are available to speak to students and community groups on a variety of court-related topics. To request a speaker, please follow the link below.

Request a Speaker

The foundation of the We the People: The Citizen and The Constitution program is the classroom curriculum. It complements the regular school curriculum by providing upper elementary, middle, and high school students with an innovative course of instruction on the history and principles of constitutional democracy in the United States. The textbooks are designed for a wide range of student abilities and may be used as a supplemental text or for a full semester of study. Critical-thinking exercises, problem-solving activities, and cooperative-learning techniques help develop intellectual and participatory skills while increasing students' understanding of the institutions of American constitutional democracy. After studying the textbook, students take a multiple-choice test and prepare for the simulated congressional hearing which is the culminating activity for the program. The entire class, working in cooperative teams, prepares and presents statements before a panel of community representatives who act as congressional committee members.

Textbooks

Each teacher who attends a training (summer or private) will receive a classroom set of books and support throughout the year in order to enable them to implement the program in their classroom. There is an e-book option available.

Civic Ed. Website (with teaching resources)

Teacher Training

Signup for Summer Training: Earn 6 credits of relicensure points, and $100 stipend by attending this one-day training. We will provide a program overview, a full set of classroom books, and training on how to implement the We The People program into any Civics Education or History curriculum in a classroom setting. Continental breakfast and lunch provided. We will reimburse the miles you drive to join us at the training. For those of you who live more than 90 miles away from Utah Valley University, we will also provide lodging for the night before the training. More than 28 million students and 90,000 teachers in public and private schools across the nation have been involved in this comprehensive study of the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights since the program began in 1987. This program helps students understand their rights and responsibilities in a constitutional democracy and provides them with the skills necessary to become active, respectful, and thoughtful citizens.

Teacher Training Sign Up

Private Training Sign Up (year-round if you miss our Teacher Training)

Teacher Training Videos

• Training Videos

High School Training Videos

• High School Training Part 1
• High School Training Part 2

Junior High Training Video

• Jr High Training Video

Resources, Information, and Trainings 

Frequently Asked Questions Our FAQ page covers many of the most common questions new teams and coaches have, including team composition, scheduling, and how trials are conducted.

Rules of Competition Section IV of the Rules of Competition includes important guidelines specifically for teachers and coaches. This section is a great place to start for understanding how to support your team effectively.

Simplified Rules of Evidence

Sample Trial courtesy of the Indiana Bar Foundation.  On this page you will find: 

• Video of the trial
• Case file to download so people can follow along and have context for the trial video
• Annotations of where in the video each trial element will take place
• Glossary of legal terms.

For additional training resources and videos, including witness training, the role of an attorney, direct examination, etc. you can find them here courtesy of the Indiana Bar Foundation.

Elementary and Middle School Mock Trial 

How Mock Trial Supports Core Standards

Bailiff Folder and Training

Past Cases and Recordings

Past High School Cases

High School Championship Recordings

Your privacy is important to Utah Law Related Education. This privacy statement provides information about the personal information that Utah Law Related Education gathers and the ways in which Utah Law Related Education uses that personal information.

PERSONAL INFORMATION GATHERING AND USE

The gathering of personal information from volunteers and donors will be used solely for communication between Utah Law Related Education and the volunteer/donor. Gathering of information for registration fees is solely to operate the program for which the information is gathered. No personal information will be sold, or distributed, except as required by law.

SECURING YOUR DATA

Utah Law Related Education will take reasonable technical and organizational precautions to prevent the loss, misuse, or alteration of your personal information and will store all of the personal information you provide on its secure servers.

* CAMPAIGN GAME *

Back a candidate and gain the support of the regions to win the Presidential Election. Find Campaign Game at: http://www.congressforkids.net/games/Elections_candatcon/2_candatconv.htm

* U.S. CAPITOL VIRTUAL TOUR *

U.S. Capitol Virtual Tour is an interactive, user-friendly, comprehensive and integrated multimedia tour of the U.S. Capitol.  It includes panorama views and historical information about the rooms of the U.S. Capitol, as well as information about the objects found in those rooms.  This tour will leave you with the feel of an actual visit to the U.S. Capitol and serves to provide a unique "Capitol" experience.

Find the U.S. Capitol Virtual Tour at: http://www.congressforkids.net/games/senate/2_senate.htm

* CHECKS AND BALANCES *

Uncle Sam, the word spy, wants you to take a minute and test your knowledge about checks and balances. Match the word(s) in the left-hand column to complete the questions or statements in the right-hand column. Check your answers.

Find Word Spy: Checks and Balances at: http://www.congressforkids.net/wordspy/wspy_Constitution_checksandbalances.htm

ConSource, a non-partisan 501(c)(3), is building the preeminent online resource for constitutional research and education.  Continually expanding in scope, it provides free public access to source documents, guides, and teacher and student resources for researching, understanding, and discussing the history of the Constitution and its Amendments.  ConSource is launching the "Using Technology to Help Students Think Historically."  Julie Silverbrook, the Executive Director, is interested in showing teachers how to use ConSource.org's free  online library.  Feel free to contact her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Thank You to Our Kind Donors

Because of the generosity of our donors, we are able to provide civic education programs to schools and communities statewide.