In two weeks, seven Ohio high schools will try to unseat Findlay as the winning class in the annual We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution competition. Findlay has represented the Buckeye State at the We the People National Finals for 11 consecutive years.

Nearly 150 students are preparing to participate in the January 25 event at the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center, home to the Ohio Supreme Court, in Columbus. The competing schools are: Archbold High School (Fulton County), Bishop Hartley High School (Franklin County), Findlay High School (Hancock County), Fostoria High School (Seneca County), Northmont High School (Montgomery County), St. Henry High School (Mercer County), Van Wert High School (Van Wert County), and West Carrollton High School (Montgomery County).

Judges, attorneys, state legislators, college professors, and other community leaders from across Ohio will judge the competition. Using their expertise and background, the judges will evaluate the students’ knowledge and understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights and their importance, impact, and underpinnings.

“The participating students have studied the Constitution throughout the semester,” said Lisa Eschleman, executive director of the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education, which administers the program. “At the competition, students will explain and debate the fine points of the document with some of the best legal and academic scholars in Ohio. It will be quite an impressive showcase of knowledge, poise, and comprehension.”

We the People is a nationally acclaimed civic education program, helping students understand the history, philosophies, and evolution of our constitutional government. Upon completion of the classroom study, the students participate in a competition taking the form of simulated Congressional hearings.