Washington State Coalition for International Education announces:
 

2006 WASHINGTON STATE CAPITOL FORUM ON AMERICA'S FUTURE

For Immediate Release March 27, 2006
Contact: Michele Anciaux Aoki, Ph.D., State Organizer for the Washington Capitol Forum
206-234-4029, michele@anciauxinternational.com

Date: March 30, 2006 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Location: Columbia Room in the State Capitol (Legislative Building) in Olympia

SEATTLE, WA – Over seventy high school students and teachers plan to travel to Olympia on March 30 for the second annual Washington State Capitol Forum on America's Future. The program, which is to be held in the Columbia Room in the Capitol Building, includes a Forum with Elected Officials at 2:45 pm, where Representative Ross Hunter, District 48, and other state policy makers are scheduled to meet with the students to connect the issues facing the U.S. to the state policy arena.

Participating teachers and schools this year include the newly formed "schools within a school" at Clover Park High School in Lakewood -- Sara Brewer of Powerhouse School, David Russel of Achiever School, and Casey Silbaugh of Crossroads Preparatory Academy; as well as Erin Lynch of Nathan Hale High School in Seattle; and Amy Chertock of Shorewood High School in Shoreline. Jim Schell, chair of the Social Studies Department at Clover Park High School, is the lead teacher for the program this year.

"The Capitol Forum is one of the most successful programs in the nation for helping students understand the role of values in national policy decisions. Our country is ready to export democracy around the world, yet how well do we infuse the core concepts of democracy in our children's education? The Capitol Forum creates a safe place for students to explore different viewpoints on the way to forming their own opinions," stated Dr. Michele Anciaux Aoki, state organizer, who launched the Washington State Capitol Forum in 2004-5 under the sponsorship of the World Affairs Council in Seattle.

The Capitol Forum program, developed by Brown University in Rhode Island and offered in ten states this year, engages high school social studies students and teachers in deliberation about our nation's future in the changing international environment. The program involves students both within their social studies classroom and beyond the classroom at their state capitol. The Washington State Capitol Forum is co-sponsored this year by:

• Secretary of State Sam Reed
• Social Studies Education Program, College of Education, University of Washington - Seattle
• Washington Council on International Trade
• Washington State Coalition for International Education

Through this program, students have studied classroom materials focusing on global issues, such as the environment, trade, terrorism, immigration, and proliferation. Student teams from each class have now been chosen to represent their schools in the statewide Capitol Forum in Olympia, where they will deliberate on U.S. foreign policy and ultimately discuss their conclusions with policymakers. Schools have posted class statements on the web: http://www.choices.edu/capitol_forum/capf_state.cfm?id=15.

After the Capitol Forum, students return to their classrooms and host their own class-wide forum on the issues they discussed in Olympia. The entire class then has the opportunity to participate in a nationwide Capitol Forum Online Ballot to compare their conclusions with students from other states. Results of the ballot will be compiled and distributed by Brown University to elected officials, Washington schools, and news media later this summer.

Comments from student participants in the 2005 Capitol Forum:

• “The Capitol building was gorgeous…when we came together to share our futures, it was great.”
• “I enjoyed session one where we talked about our specialty topics because it gave me the chance to be passionate with my opinions about immigration.”
• “I enjoyed talking with students from different schools and hearing what they have to say.”
• “I enjoyed the time we spent with the legislators. It was the highlight of the day.”
• “I wish I had [participated in other events like this]; I have become interested in global affairs and politics.”
• “It has inspired me to do better at school and vote in the next election.”

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The Washington Council on International Trade (WCIT) is a private, non-profit, non-partisan association comprised of private sector businesses, public sector and state government representatives, academia, consular groups and individuals. For almost three decades, the Council has been advocating on the benefits of a flourishing trade base. WCIT is a well-known and highly respected resource for elected representatives, the media, educators and community groups. It offers trade awareness on key federal and state trade-related issues. For more information, visit www.wcit.org.

The Washington State Coalition for International Education is a network of community leaders, non-profit organizations, schools, colleges, and individuals committed to preparing all students for today’s interconnected world. The grassroots organization, founded in 2003, helps promote activities and events related to international education through its E-Newsletter. For more information about the Coalition and international education efforts in Washington state, please visit the International Education Washington website: http://internationaledwa.org.

Contact:
Michele Anciaux Aoki, 206-234-4029, michele@anciauxinternational.com

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