(Updated: Added video, civics learning project, panelists, and student comments)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Civic Learning Project will host a “Law Day” event Tuesday at Central Oregon Community College to promote youth learning and the development of legal, social and political issues. The event was one of four held on campuses across the state. Interesting for high school students.
This is only the second year that the event has been held in Central Oregon, where students participate in learning sessions and hear from a panel of government and legal experts.
“I wanted to come because I wanted to learn about government and how it works,” said high school student Daniel Millan.
Milan says the most beneficial part of the conference is learning from the experts on the panel, like Jacques Landau.
Landau served on the Oregon Supreme Court and the Oregon Court of Appeals for 25 years and currently teaches at Lewis & Clark Law School, Willamette University School of Law and the University of Oregon Law School.
“(Thomas) Jefferson said years ago that the key to democracy is an informed electorate. People have no idea how their government works and what the rules are,” Landau said. “We need to understand what the role of law is in our society.”
“I don't think there's any age that's too young or too young,” he said. “We're talking about today's students becoming tomorrow's voters. This is about the survival of our democracy.”
The main theme of the conference is preserving democracy. The purpose is to educate students about how government works, promote civic engagement, and show them career opportunities.
Milan said, “I wanted to learn more about the government. I would like to get a position in the government and get a job helping people.''
The event included 16 learning sessions. Topics covered include free speech, voting rights, the importance of the media, as well as law and order.
“Young Americans tend to think that adults don't do a good enough job of making things work, and they're right in many ways,” said Amy Sabbadini, regional director of the Civic Learning Project. “But there are still problems.” There are very functional things going on that aren't very visible, so I wanted to make those parts visible. ”
Sabbadini said one of the goals is to teach students how to solve problems and make a difference as a community.
She said an important part of maintaining democracy and participating in civic life is knowing that “public officials and elected officials have access to us.”
The University of Oregon also hosted a conference on Tuesday as part of Law Day. Earlier this month, an event was held in the Portland area. The last of the four conferences will be held Thursday at the University of Oregon for high school students from Southern Oregon.
From the news release:
The best way to preserve democracy is to teach democracy.
Civic Learning Project's Law Day Sponsored by 32 Schools Civic Learning Project's annual Law Day conference for students will draw more than 300 students from across Oregon this May.
Law Day is a series of events and presentations for high school students held each year on four regional college campuses in Oregon that focus on legal, social, and political issues of interest to young people. Presentations and workshops are presented by experts, scholars, and activists from within Oregon and beyond, and are designed to provide a cohesive and engaging experience for students.
Northwest/Metro Area Law Day, held on Friday, May 10, featured speakers including Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice Megan Flynn and Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum.
The remaining three road day conferences will be held this month in Oregon's Southern Willamette Valley, Central and Southern regions.
Southern Willamette Valley Law Day will be held on Tuesday, May 21st at the University of Oregon School of Law.
Central Regional Law Day will also be held on Tuesday, May 21st at Central Oregon Community College..
Finally, Southern Oregon Regional Law Day will be held on Thursday, May 23rd at the University of Oregon School of Law. Law Day is completely free for Oregon high school students and educators. The Civics Learning Project is committed to providing comprehensive and engaging civics lessons that are accessible to high school students of all grades and from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds.
