Teachers Institute to Promote Representative Democracy
Montana teachers will have a chance to expand their understanding of the role citizens and legislators play in a representative democracy during a free institute this summer in Helena.
The first-ever Teachers Institute on Representative Democracy and the Legislative Process will be held June 14-16 at the State Capitol. The professional development program is limited to 25 teachers of government, social studies, civics, and history. Preference will be given to high school and middle school teachers who represent the cultural and geographic diversity of the state.
The deadline to apply is April 10. Teachers will be notified of their acceptance by April 20. An application and agenda are available online at www.leg.mt.gov/teachers-institute or by calling the Legislative Information Office at 406-444-2957.
The institute is co-sponsored by the Montana Legislative Council, Project Citizen, the Alliance for Teaching Representative Democracy in America, the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Trust for Representative Democracy, and the Montana Secretary of State’s Office.
Alan Rosenthal, a professor of public policy at Rutgers University, will be the keynote speaker. He is an expert in state politics and legislatures and is the author of numerous books, including The Decline of Representative Democracy. He will discuss the role of the state legislature in a representative democracy.
Teachers who participate in the institute will not only examine details of the legislative process, but they’ll interact with Montana legislators to gain a better understanding of the motivations for serving in public office and the need for civil dialogue and an open exchange of ideas in a democracy. They’ll also get tools and materials for use in the classroom to help encourage civic participation among Montana students.
Parts of the 2.5-day program will focus specifically on the interactive learning tools available through the national civic education programs Project Citizen and Representative Democracy in America.
The sponsors plan to offer continuing education credits through the state Office of Public Instruction, provide lodging, and pay a stipend to participants to cover some travel costs.
