Congratulations to Lincoln East High School who won Nebraska's "We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution" competition on December 15, 2020. The honorable mention winners of the competition were Conestoga, Lincoln North Star, and Lincoln Southwest (no particular order intended). The runner up winner was Lincoln Southeast. Johnson-Brock was participating as a showcase team.
Lincoln East High School has won 13 of the last 15 competitions, a testimonial to the teaching of Mr. Kevin Rippe.
The foundation of We the People (WTP) is the classroom curriculum. It complements school curriculum by providing upper elementary, middle, and high school students with an innovative course of instruction on the history and principles of constitutional democracy in the United States. High school teams, each comprised of a rostered class that has used the We the People curriculum, compete in simulated hearings before community members.
The Nebraska State Bar Foundation annually sponsors the Nebraska State "We the People" High School Finals and it was held on Zoom this year with 138 students competing.
The volunteer judges in the competition included professors, a Nebraska Supreme Court Justice, educators and current and retired attorneys. Pam Hastings, WTP State Coordinator said, "The judges were really impressed with the presentations of all the students."
The winner represents Nebraska at the National We the People Finals in late April in the Washington, D.C., area. This year, the national competition will take place online.