Teaching today’s youth to be responsible and aware citizens is a critical part of their education, says University of Georgia education professor John Hoge, who is the new state coordinator for “We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution,” a nationally acclaimed program that seeks to do just that.
Hoge, an associate professor of social science education, was chosen to direct the program, which promotes civic understanding among the nation’s elementary, middle and high school students.
The “We the People” program’s innovative instruction uses curriculum materials and a nationwide network of teachers to teach the current relevance of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
After students complete the program they are eligible to participate in a simulated congressional hearing where they demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles and have an opportunity to evaluate and defend positions on current and historical issues.
As Georgia state coordinator, Hoge is responsible for making sure the program functions properly in all congressional districts. He oversees textbook distribution and makes sure district coordinators stay in touch with their district congressional representative. Hoge is also responsible for building a new advisory board for the project to assist in extra fundraising and to help set policy directions.
More than 26 million students and 82,000 educators from every state in the nation have participated in this innovative curriculum since its inception in 1987.
For more information about the program, contact John Hoge at jhoge@coe.uga.edu or visit the new Georgia “We the People” Web site, which will be live soon and linked from the College of Education’s homepage at www.coe.uga.edu.
