A very sad commentary on our times is the lack of civic knowledge among Americans.  To illustrate this point, here is part of an article published in 2017 by the Harvard Political Review:

“…a Newsweek survey from 2011 found that 70 percent of Americans didn’t even know that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Sadly, this is not the only piece of evidence indicating that Americans are not as familiar with the Constitution and the Supreme Court as one might expect—a 2016 survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania found that only 26 percent of respondents could name all three branches of government, and only 33 percent knew that, in the case of a 4-4 Supreme Court tie, the decision of the lower court stands.

“These dismal findings prompt another, broader question: why is it that the American public’s civic literacy is so poor? The basic organization of American government is not very complex, and the U.S. Constitution is a relatively short document. Americans should therefore have a much greater level of familiarity with the way their government operates. Schools, at both the K-12 and collegiate level, must make civic education a priority and should specifically ensure that students understand the Constitution and the Supreme Court.”

Two local high school  teachers, one at HSE and the other at Fishers High School, are working to change that.  Janet Chandler and Liz Paternoster are coaches of their respective “We the People” teams, a competition testing students’ knowledge of civic affairs.  Both local high schools have made regular appearances at “We The People” national finals competition in recent years.

These two teachers are planning an event at Top Golf on Sunday, October 27th, at 3:30pm, aimed at raising money to support local civic education.  In order for this to be a success, these teachers need the help of the Fishers community.

They are asking for donations of goods or services.  This includes the raffle and silent auction, as well as, event sponsors. All businesses who donate an item will have their company name/logo promoted in our photo-shoot backgrounds, website and
on social media.

Below you will find information on how to contact Liz Paternoster and Janet Chandler, along with more details on what is available.

LIz Paternoster                                                                Janet Chandler
Fishers High School                                                      Hamilton Southeastern High School
Lpaternoster@hse.k12.in.us                                     jchandler@hse.k12.in.us