Defying data that show Americans know little about the U.S. Constitution and their own government, students in the Capital Region BOCES Career & Technical School’s New Visions: Law & Government program outperformed more than 40 of their peers on January 31, 2009, to win the regional “We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution” competition at Albany Law School. They will proceed to the statewide competition in Albany on March 7.

The New Visions: Law & Government students, who attend the program for a half-day and their home high schools the other half, had to explain the philosophical and historical foundations on which the American political system is based. During a simulated congressional hearing, the students "testified" before a panel of judges to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles, and they evaluated, took, and defended positions on relevant historical and contemporary issues. The New Visions: Law & Government students competed and won against “We The People” teams from Shenendehowa High School East and Clarkstown High School South.

The winning New Visions: Law & Government student team includes Sarah Barry (Niskayuna H.S.); Elizabeth Bradley (Tamarac H.S.); Katelyn Choiniere (Colonie Central H.S.); Rachel Gellert (Taconic Hills H.S.); Meghan Hart (Scotia-Glenville H.S.); Lisa Hartman (Shenendehowa H.S.); Jason Lawrence (Guilderland H.S.); Jennifer McKay (Shenendehowa H.S.); Ingrid Tatiana Medina (Scotia-Glenville H.S.); Matthew Pellegrini (Watervliet H.S.); Kraig Roche (Cohoes H.S.); Jacquelynn Steciuk (Cohoes H.S.); Christian Tiberia (Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk H.S.); and Katie Urbanski (Schalmont H.S.).

According to their teacher, Richard W. Bader, Esq., “the New Visions: Law & Government students prepared for the competition by studying ‘We The People: The Citizen and Constitution’, an intensive curriculum focusing on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.” Funded by the U.S. Department of Education and directed by the Center for Civic Education in Los Angeles, ‘We the People’ is offered through the New York State Bar Association. Nationally, the program has benefited nearly 30 million students during its 19-year history.

New Visions: Law & Government is a unique, career-exploration and honors-, A.P.- and college-credit-granting program offered by the Capital Region BOCES Career & Technical School for honors-level, college-bound high school seniors. In a classroom located at the State Education Building in downtown Albany, New Visions: Law & Government students study an integrated curriculum of advanced coursework in political science, law, English and economics, with government and law-related internships, job shadowing, field trips, community service and competitions. Students learn firsthand about the executive, legislative and judicial branches of New York State government as well as about the private legal sector.

New Visions: Law & Government is accepting applications through March 20 from high school juniors for the 2009-10 school year and will host a Open House on February 12 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at the Capital Region BOCES administrative building, 1031 Watervliet-Shaker Rd., Colonie. For more information, call (518) 486-2613 or visit http://www.bocescareertech.org/Programs/NVLawGovt.htm. An evening open house for all New Visions programs will be held at the same location on from 6-8 p.m. on March 18.