Constitutional Education Programs
Mock Congressional Hearings Competition
Classes from throughout Florida at the middle and high school levels may register to participate in mock congressional hearings to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights. The Center provides grade-level specific hearing questions for middle and high school classes. Teachers prepare their classes to respond to specific questions based on the rules of competition. Each class should be divided into six groups and assigned to one of the six corresponding content areas.
The congressional hearing model requires students to prepare a preliminary statement delivered during the simulation. Following the prepared statement, a question and answer segment follows with judges, attorneys, and professors as well as other community members.
For the past several years, the hearings have been conducted virtually at the request of teachers to reduce costs. This year, we are asking teachers to let us know their preferences in how this year’s program should be held. The state level hearings will utilize a hybrid model this year. The dates are January 26, 2024, for the virtual hearings and February 2, 2024, for the in-person hearings.
National competitions for the We the People…the Citizen and the Constitution program will be held in 2024 for eligible teams that advance from the state competition.
The Justice Teaching Center hosts state hearings for middle and high school classes. Review the rules and hearing questions provided on this page. Winning schools from the state showcase are eligible to participate at the national level. Preview videos from the national finals to see how Florida high school students performed during the Top 10 Hearings.
Training and professional development opportunities are available for teachers in Florida. Contact apitts@flsouthern.edu. Please let us know if you have any questions, are new to the program and need training, or have specific needs to participate.
Resources
The We the People...the Citizen and the Constitution program provide elementary, middle, and high school students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge of the U. S. Constitution and strengthen their communication, critical thinking, and reasoning skills. Some schools utilize the We the People textbooks or resources.
Questions? Contact
