This is a project that was started and developed in 1996 by a Lions Club member in Denver, Colorado, Andy McKean and his late wife. His wife was a lawyer; Andy was an elementary school teacher. This project has been organized in sixteen states and is growing.
This project is designed to be presented by a teacher or mentor on September 17th – Constitution Day, Madison’s birthday march 16th, law Day or any time that it fits into the teacher’s curriculum. A teacher’s plan is provided with the materials.
The American Lawyers Auxiliary members, with their Law-Related Education focus, plan to help support this program by encouraging civic and service organizations, Bar Associations, local auxiliaries, individuals, etc. fund and adopt this project in their communities. The Constitution cost is $1.00 per student. The goal is to provide every 5th grader with their own copy of the Constitution and an understanding of its importance.
“When the Department of Education recently released the results of the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress – “the Nation’s Report Card” – the bottom line was depressingly predictable: Not even a quarter of American students is proficient in US History, and the percentage declines as students grow older. Only 20 percent of 6th graders, 17 percent of 8th graders, and 12 percent of high school seniors demonstrate a solid grasp on their nation’s history. “
“Noah Webster (who authored the first American textbook and dictionary) once said: Every child in America should be acquainted with his own country. He should read books that furnish him with ideas that will be useful to him in life and practice. As soon as he opens his lips, he should rehearse the history of his own country.”
If you are interested in this project for your class or school, you can ask a local service club to fund it for you. Here is a link for a sample letter to give to a service club about the project: