Greenwich High School’s We The People section of Advanced Placement U.S. Government and Advanced Placement Comparative Politics has amassed a number of national accolades. The program’s students are rostered to compete in the We The People Simulated Congressional Hearing Competition, conducted each year by the Center for Civic Education, and have exhibited impressive work and subject matter expertise as demonstrated by their national awards.
21 Team Members to Compete in We the People National Finals Challenge
Greenwich High School Teacher and We the People Coach, Mr. Aaron Hull shared, “The whole class qualified for the National We The People Finals Challenge. We have 21 juniors participating and we’ve been practicing with coaches and alumni mentors via Zoom conference.” The competition which is normally held in Washington, D.C., has been revamped to a digital competition to align with safe social distancing practices. Greenwich High School was awarded a Wild Card spot for the competition as a second-place team in the State of Connecticut. The competition will take place virtually on Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26.
Four Students to Compete in Harlan Virtual Supreme Court
The Harlan Institute and The Constitutional Sources Project (ConSource) announced their Seventh Annual Virtual Supreme Court Competition. This competition offers teams of two high school students the opportunity to research cutting-edge constitutional law, write persuasive appellate briefs, argue against other students through video chats, and try to persuade a panel of esteemed attorneys during oral argument that their side is correct. This year the competition focuses on Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue.
Mr. Hull shared, “Our Respondent team of We The People team Juniors David Katz and Seldon Salaj, and our Petitioner team of We The People Juniors Dylan Maloney and Dylan Mini, have continued the Greenwich High School tradition of excellence in this year’s competition. Both pairs made the live rounds, and have advanced to the Elite Eight of the tournament, which will be contested this Wednesday for a spot in the National Championship. The teams have been working hard, remotely of course, from their homes to prepare for each round. I am incredibly proud of their dedication and efforts, especially during Distance Learning, as they’ve navigated the additional challenge of being in multiple locations, while maintaining their focus on working as teams. Historically, this falls in line with past We The People team efforts, as two previous pairs have won the National Championship and taken Second Place; the latter contest argued in front of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, just before his elevation to the position of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.”
Two Students Advancing to States for National History Day
The Connecticut History Day Committee recently announced the 2020 Fairfield Regional Contest Results. Among the winners were ten Greenwich High School students, representing seven different project winners, and among the winners from Greenwich High School were two We the People students, who will be advancing to States for the National History Day competition.
Mr. Hull shared, “I’m so proud of Dani and Sophie, Junior members of the We The People team, and Bryn Kummell, Honors American History student, for seeing the process through despite the challenges of Distance Learning. Dani constructed her exhibit at home, despite the challenges that presented; Bryn and Sophie created and edited their Group Performances digitally, while remaining separated.”
Below are the details of the winning projects:
Category: Senior Individual Exhibit
Third Place: HeLa Cells: Breaking Barriers in History School: Greenwich High School
Student: Danielle Spitz (Junior, We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution Team)
Category: Senior Group Performance
First Place: Women’s Rights in Nigeria School: Greenwich High School Students: Bryn Kummell (Sophomore, Honors American History) and Sophie Chaves (Junior, We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution Team)
Greenwich High School Teacher and We The People Coach Wins National Civics Educator Award
The Center for Civic Education, the Center on Representative Government at Indiana University, and the National Education Association named Greenwich High School Teacher Mr. Aaron Hull one of three winners of this year’s American Civic Education Teacher Awards (ACETA).
According to the ACETA program, “Through American Civic Education Teacher Awards, selected teachers of civics and government are recognized both for their excellent work and as representatives of their profession. The ACETA program also informs the public of the challenges of teaching and the different conditions under which teachers serve the public good. ACETA aims to pay tribute to elementary and secondary school teachers representing: the teaching of civic education for democracy, the diverse populations of today’s schools, and each geographic region of the United States.”
Greenwich High School Headmaster Mr. Ralph Mayo shared, “I recommended Mr. Hull for this prestigious award for the contributions that he has made to our students and our school. He is a passionate and dedicated educator, shown through his work in his classroom and as a coach for our We the People program. It’s great to see him recognized on a national level.”
In response to his recognition, Mr. Hull said, “It’s an honor to win this award. The credit goes to my phenomenal students over the years. Whether it’s their efforts in We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution, Harlan/ConSource Virtual Supreme Court, National History Day, UConn Globalization Conferences, or other endeavors, I’m always amazed at the effort the students put in, and the pride they take towards their work. They are truly spectacular – it is a pleasure to watch them learn and excel.”
