Ohio Supreme Court...
Findlay High School Wins Ohio Civics Competition
Jan. 31, 2012 

For the 11th consecutive year, students from Findlay High School in Findlay won the Ohio We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution High School State Competition. These students advance to represent Ohio at the We the People National Finals in Washington DC on April 28-30. 

Over 130 students from six classes from across the Buckeye State competed at the competition, held at the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center, home to the Supreme Court of Ohio, in downtown Columbus, on January 27.  This was the first time the We the People competition was held at this site. 

Van Wert High School was the state runner-up in an extremely close race. This was the first time a class from Van Wert competed in the state competition. Other participating schools include Archbold High School (Archbold), Bishop Hartley High School (Columbus), Northmont High School (Clayton), and West Carrollton High School (West Carrollton). 

“The students obviously worked very hard in their preparation for the competition. The competition judges kept talking about how knowledgeable, informed, and articulate the students are,” said Tim Kalgreen, a program coordinator for the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education and We the People state coordinator. 

Judges, attorneys, college professors, and other community leaders from across Ohio judged the competition. State Supreme Court Justice Robert Cupp, State Senator Cliff Hite, State Senator Troy Balderson, and State Representative Tracy Maxwell Heard were a few of the judges at the competition. Justice Cupp also delivered a keynote address to the students following the competition. 

We the People is a nationally acclaimed civic education program, helping students understand the history, philosophies, and evolution of our constitutional government, focusing on the US Constitution and Bill of Rights.  Upon completion of the classroom study, the students participate in a competition taking the form of simulated Congressional hearings, allowing the students to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding. The program is administered in Ohio by the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education and nationally by the Center for Civic Education.