Six schools, with seven teams, competed in Nebraska's "We the People" contest on Monday, December 18, 2023. The Bar Foundation sponsors the Nebraska State We the People High School Finals annually at the University of Nebraska Law College in Lincoln. High school teams, each comprised of a rostered class that has used the We the People curriculum, compete with simulated hearings before community members. Nebraska judges included attorneys, professors, former staff of a US senator, a Nebraska Supreme Court Justice and others.
Lincoln East High School won the competition and will represent Nebraska at Nationals in Washington D.C. The other competing schools were: Lincoln Southeast, Lincoln North Star, Lincoln Northwest, Lincoln Southwest GREEN, Lincoln Southwest SILVER, Conestoga and Johnson Broc.
More than 1,200 high school students and their teachers participate annually in the National Finals. While in Washington, students also have an opportunity to visit historic sites and meet with members of Congress and other dignitaries.
Kevin Rippe is the teacher for Lincoln East High School and will lead the team at Nationals.