| July 19, 2005
OLYMPIA…Lynden High School social
studies and history teacher, Jen Reidel, will spend the next two days in
Olympia as a “Rosenthal Scholar” as she takes part in the Appreciating
Democracy program.
Sen. Dale Brandland, R-Whatcom County,
recommended Reidel for the program and spent time with her during the 2005
legislative session and also spoke to Reidel’s class at Lynden High School.
“I think this is a wonderful opportunity
for our teachers to gain firsthand knowledge of the process, the procedures
and the players surrounding state government,” Brandland said. “I’ve been
very impressed with Jen’s dedication and interest in the workings of
government and the legislative branch. And she has the ability to take that
knowledge and that passion and pass it on to her students, which is a huge
asset to our kids and the community at large.”
On July 19th and 20th,
the Legislature will host approximately 18 teachers from across the state
for a workshop on Appreciating Democracy. The Legislature is working with
the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) to prepare and present
the Rosenthal Scholar Program which is designed to disseminate high school
curricular materials about representative democracy. Dr. Alan Rosenthal,
Rutgers University Eagleton Institute, will be in Olympia to present the
materials and elicit teacher input. In addition, the teachers will
participate in a state budget exercise and visit with legislators, staff and
lobbyists to help better understand the legislative process. During the
2006 session, the teachers will be invited to return and shadow a legislator
for a day.
Other local teachers who will attend the
workshop include Bob and Kris Carson, who teach at Lynden High School and
Lynden Middle School respectively.
“The Rosenthal Scholar Program
offers an opportunity to provide exceptional civics educators with
additional tools to teach about representative democracy and provides an
opportunity to recognize and honor their service to the youth of
Washington,” Brandland said. “I’m honored to host Jen Reidel and welcome
the Carson’s to Olympia, and hope to see other Whatcom County teachers
participate in the future.”
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For more
information contact Brendon Wold (360) 786-7536 or wold_br@leg.wa.gov
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