On Wednesday, the ACLU of Maine hosted our third Bill of Rights student conference in as many weeks, culminating a series of all-day events we put on each year as a service to schoolchildren around the state. All told, we hosted 21 different schools this fall and well over 500 students, all of whom attended three separate workshops over the course of each day, exploring the Bill of Rights, its meaning, its history, and its relevance to the lives of young people today.
This large of an undertaking requires a true team effort to put on, and we were privileged to get help from an amazing roster of facilitators and presenters who took the day off from work to come and teach at these conferences. We had numerous attorneys in all three locations -- including many from the ACLU of Maine's Board of Directors and Legal Panel -- who volunteered their time to teach students about the 1st, 4th, and 14th Amendments, as well as other related topics. We had law students from the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic and the National Lawyers Guild at Maine Law who led “Know Your Rights” lessons on what to do when encountering law enforcement. We had college professors, we had former teachers, we had a state legislator, and of course we had staffers from here at the ACLU of Maine as well – all spending their entire day working with students and discussing these important and pressing issues with them.
Educating students about their Constitutional rights is a year-round mission here at the ACLU of Maine, but these all-day events provide a unique opportunity for students to delve into the often-complex issues that arise when learning about the Bill of Rights. Our workshops are not simple lectures on the basics of the law; they are in-depth, interactive explorations that use a variety of teaching methods, including mock trials, attorney debates, multimedia presentations, and much more. These participatory workshops are lively and exciting, while at the same time teaching the core principles that all of us need to know about the U.S. Constitution. The response by students to this material is a joy to witness, and we had some truly amazing discussions at all three events.
It’s important to note that these conferences would never have occurred if not for the support of our members and donors, who allow us to do this work and provide this one-of-a-kind opportunity to students from around our state. The ACLU of Maine puts on these events at no cost whatsoever to schools – and we even pay for transportation, if needed – which means that students in lower-income districts, who may have little or no opportunities to go on field trips due to budget cuts, are able to come and learn about these important issues just like everyone else.
If you are a member of the ACLU of Maine, or if you donate to our organization, you should feel very proud that you helped support these conferences. If you would like to help us put on more events like this in the future and reach even more students, please consider becoming a member or making a larger donation. In doing so you will be helping us continue to provide opportunities like this to schools from all around the state. And if you'd like to learn more about our education program -- or you want to know how you can help contribute in the future -- please feel free to be in touch at any time.
