Last Week to Apply: Congress in the Classroom 2011-Our 20th Year

Cindy Koeppel, via email:

Last Week to Apply!

Call for Participation: Congress in the Classroom 2011-Our 20th Year

* Deadline to Apply: April 15, 2011 *

Congress in the Classroom is a national, award-winning education program now in
its 20th year. Developed and sponsored by The Dirksen Congressional Center, the
workshop is dedicated to the exchange of ideas and information on teaching
about Congress.

Congress in the Classroom is designed for high school or middle school teachers
who teach U.S. history, government, civics, political science, or social
studies. Forty teachers will be selected to take part in the program. All
online applications must be received by no later than April 15, 2011.

Although the workshop will feature a variety of sessions, the 2011 program will
feature a broad overview of Congress and blends two kinds of sessions. Some
emphasize ideas and resources that teachers can use almost immediately in their
classrooms -- sessions about primary sources and Best Practices are good
examples. Other sessions deal with more abstract topics. Think of them as
resembling graduate-level courses, stronger on content than on classroom
applications. If you are looking for a program that features one or the other
exclusively, Congress in the Classroom is probably not right for you.

Throughout the program, you will work with subject matter experts as well as
colleagues from across the nation. This combination of firsthand knowledge and
peer-to-peer interaction will give you new ideas, materials, and a
professionally enriching experience.

"Until now so much of what I did in my class on Congress was straight
theory-this is what the Constitution says, "noted one of our teachers. "Now I
can use these activities and illustrations to help get my students involved in
the class and at the very least their community but hopefully in the federal
government. This workshop has given me a way to help them see how relevant my
class is and what they can do to help make changes in society."

The 2011 workshop will be held Monday, July 25-28, 2011, at Embassy Suites,
East Peoria, Illinois. The program is certified by the Illinois State Board of
Education for up to 22 Continuing Education Units. The program also is endorsed
by the National Council for the Social Studies.

Participants are responsible for (1) a non-refundable $125 registration fee
(required to confirm acceptance after notice of selection) and (2)
transportation to and from Peoria, Illinois. Many school districts will pay all
or a portion of these costs.

The Center pays for three nights lodging at the headquarters hotel (providing a
single room for each participant), workshop materials, local transportation,
all but three meals, and presenter honoraria and expenses. The Center spends
between $40,000 and $45,000 to host the program each year.

What follows are the sessions planned for the 2011 edition of Congress in the
Classroom. Please re-visit the site for changes as the program develops.

Session Titles, 2011:

* Jumping Right In Frank Mackaman, The Dirksen Congressional Center CONFIRMED

* Congressional Insight: A Simulation Colleen Vivori, National Association of
Manufacturers CONFIRMED

* Using Fantasy Congress to Engage My Students Scott Corner, Government and
Politics Teacher, Palma High School, Salinas CA CONFIRMED

* Congress at Work Christine Blackerby, Center for Legislative Archives,
National Archives and Records Administration CONFIRMED

* Help for Teachers from the Office of The Historian Kathleen Johnson, Oral
Historian, Office of the Historian, U.S. House of Representatives CONFIRMED

* A View of Congress from the White House: What the Presidential Tapes Reveal
KC Johnson, Department of History, Brooklyn College CONFIRMED

* The Congressional Time Line Project Frank Mackaman, The Dirksen Congressional
Center CONFIRMED

* Congress for Kids Cindy Koeppel, The Dirksen Congressional Center CONFIRMED

* A Journalist's Take on Congress David Lightman, Congressional Correspondent,
McClatchy News Service CONFIRMED

* Teaching with Primary Sources Cindy Rich, Project Director, Teaching with
Primary Sources, Eastern Illinois University CONFIRMED

* Leadership in the House During the 112th Congress Bryan Marshall, Department
of Political Science, Miami University of Ohio CONFIRMED

* New Approaches to Teaching about Congress Paul C. Milazzo, Department of
History, Ohio University CONFIRMED

* Listen Up Legislators: How to Get Your Point Across Stephanie Vance, the
Advocacy Guru, Washington DC CONFIRMED

* Best Practices CONFIRMED

* The Impact of Congressional Redistricting on the 2012 Elections TENTATIVE

Take a look at The Dirksen Center Web site --
-- to see
what participants say about the program.

* REGISTRATION *

If you are interested in learning more about the sessions and registering for
the Congress in the Classroom 2011 workshop, you can complete an online
registration form found at:
http://www.dirksencenter.org/programs_CiCapplication.htm

If you do not want to receive information from The Dirksen Center in the
future, please send an email to Cindy Koeppel at
mailto: ckoeppel@dirksencenter.org.

Cindy Koeppel

The Dirksen Congressional Center

2815 Broadway

Pekin, IL 61554

309.347.7113

309.347.6432 Fax

Email: ckoeppel@dirksencenter.org

Web site: http://www.dirksencongressionalcenter.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DirksenCenter

Twitter: http://twitter.com/dirksencenter

Posted by Jim Zellmer at April 15, 2011 9:34 AM
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