Current Programs
We the Students Curriculum
The "We the Students" curriculum was developed to counteract the effects of "civic illiteracy" on the young people of America. The Marshall-Brennan Fellows teach from We the Students: Supreme Court Cases for and About Students, 2nd edition, which highlights the 35 most important Supreme Court cases affecting the rights and responsibilities of students. The Program's goal is to teach students their rights under the Constitution and how to use their knowledge of cases and the Constitution to become effective democratic citizens. Through briefing cases and participating in moot court exercises, students develop critical thinking skills, advancing their rhetorical skills, and refine their persuasive powers.
The photo at the left is from Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District, a landmark student rights decision featured in We the Students. The photo shows Mary Beth Tinker who was suspended for wearing a black armband to her junior high school to protest the Vietnam War. She took her case all the way to the Supreme Court, which boldly declared: "It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate." To this day, Mary Beth Tinker is an avid advocate for student rights and a strong supporter of the Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project.
Get a complimentary copy of We the Students
If you contribute $125 or more to The Civic Education Project, we will send you a complimentary copy of We the Students: Supreme Court cases for and about Students, 2d ed. (2003) ($29 value). The book can also be purchased through online booksellers, or directly through the publisher, CQ Press.