• 2011 Educators Summer Symposium - June 6-9, 2011, Sioux Falls Roosevelt High School, Sioux Falls, SD
Breakout session: Engaging Students in Local and State Issues - South Dakota Project Citizen

Past Professional Development and Events

• Technology in Education (TIE) Conference - April 3-5, 2011, Chiesman Center for Democracy, Rapid City, SD

• Professional Development Civic Education Workshop - April 10-12, 2011, Chiesman Center for Democracy, Rapid City, SD

• Professional Development Civic Education Workshop - April 17-19, 2011, Chiesman Center for Democracy, Rapid City, SD

Project Citizen takes an innovative approach to addressing the public policy issues and challenges that face our communities, generating ideas to meet those challenges.  Holding true to the 21st Century Initiative, Project Citizen is designed to involve young people in solving community problems.  By focusing on real-life problems and concerns, students will learn practical ways to participate actively and responsibly in state and local government.

South Dakota Project Citizen works across the curriculum in social studies, language arts, science, math, technology, and art.

Project Citizen consists of two main components:

1. The Porfolio

The portfolio is an organized collection of information which makes up the class's plan related to a public policy issue the class studies. The portfolio contains such things as written statements, charts, graphs, photographs, and original artwork. It is made up of four (4) panels of foam core board, no larger than 32" wide by 40" that portray:

• What students have learned about the problem selected
• What students have learned about alternative policies that address the problem
• What students have selected as their class policy to deal with the problem
• What action plan students have determined will get the government to adopt their policy

The Documentation Binder accompanies the portfolio and contains research materials, interview documentation, surveys, and other information used to support the development of the proposed public policy and action plan.

1. The Simulated Hearing

The purpose of the simulated hearing is to provide students with a forum for presenting and defending the information learned while creating their portfolio. Each class selects a student group of four for the presentation.  Each student group (problem, alternative policies, class policy, and action plan) has 4 minutes to present the most significant information from their part of the portfolio. They "testify" before a panel made up of community members who listen to their prepared testimony and ask follow-up questions for 6 minutes.


A typical round of testimony is:
• 4 minutes of prepared testimony per panel
• 6 minutes of follow-up questions
• 4-5 minutes of feedback by panel members