Illinois We the People

05/29/2026

https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/05/fighting-back-after-the-gutting-of-the-voting-rights-act-/

(Katie Barlow)Cases and Controversies is a recurring series by Carolyn Shapiro, primarily focusing on the effects of the Supreme Court’s rulings, opinions, and procedures on the law, on other institutions, and on our constitutional democracy more generally.In Louisiana v. Callais, the Supreme Cour...

04/24/2026

We’re proud to celebrate the incredible achievements of the Maine South High School and St. Joseph-Ogden High School We the People teams, who recently represented Illinois at the national We the People National Finals in Bethesda, Maryland!

Competing on a national stage is no small feat—these students demonstrated deep knowledge of the Constitution, strong critical thinking skills, and a true commitment to civic engagement. Their hard work, preparation, and dedication were on full display throughout the competition.

We know how much time, effort, and heart goes into this journey, and we couldn’t be more proud of these students and their teachers for representing their schools and our state so well.

Congratulations on an outstanding accomplishment—you’ve made your communities proud!

01/10/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Our Wisconsin & Illinois We the People Teams! 🎉

Today’s Wisconsin and Illinois We the People Hearings showcased the hard work, dedication, and constitutional knowledge of some truly outstanding students and educators.

In Wisconsin, two teams represented Wauwatosa with distinction. Wauwatosa West earned first place, while Wauwatosa East delivered an impressive performance and secured a wild card berth—a testament to the strength of civic education in the district.

In Illinois, competition was fierce among Maine South High School, St. Joseph-Ogden High School, J. Sterling Morton High School, and William Howard Taft High School, with Illiana Christian High School participating as an exhibition team. Maine South High School claimed first place, St. Joseph-Ogden finished second and earned a wild card spot, followed by Taft High School in third and J. Sterling Morton in fourth.

We are incredibly proud of all the students, teachers, judges, and volunteers who made today’s hearings such a success. Your commitment to civic learning and constitutional understanding gives us great hope for the future of our democracy.

02/07/2024

Seeking Teachers for Professional Learning Experience! - https://mailchi.mp/kentlaw/summer-pd-professionallearning-15888933

01/18/2024

Congratulations to Maine South High School who is the Illinois We the People State Champion! St. Joseph-Odgen High School finished as runner up. Two outstanding teams with exceptional teachers!

Both teams will have an opportunity to participate at the national finals later this year. Maine South High School will represent Illinois as the state champion and St. Joseph-Ogden will represent Illinois as a wild card team as the runner-up. The national hearings will take place in Washington D.C this April. The national hearings will be held in-person.

Congratulations to our amazing students and their outstanding teachers! The future of our Democracy is in good hands!

08/31/2023

The Center for Civic Education has announced that the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution high school state hearing questions for 2023–24 are available on their website, here:

//files.civiced.org/pdfs/WTP/StateHearingQuestions2023-24.pdf

06/15/2023

Summer Professional Development Opportunities - https://mailchi.mp/3da148056059/summer-pd-constitution-15775517

04/11/2023

Youth Summit Tackles An Environmental Issue - https://mailchi.mp/84d63b4f1c2c/discussion-student-events-15764837

02/14/2023

Illinois will send two teams to the National Finals in Leesburg, Virginia in late April. Representing Illinois will be Maine South High School as the state champion, and St. Joseph-Ogden High School as runner-up.

Both teams are working incredibly hard to represent the State of Illinois. Not only is it hard work for these young students but it is incredibly expensive as well.

If you would like to help either or both of these teams with expenses, please reach out to their incredibly gifted and hard-working teachers. Even the smallest donation will go a long way to supporting the teams.

Maine South High School - Contact Andy Trenkle at [email protected]

St. Joseph-Ogden High School - Contact Marshall Schacht at [email protected]

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02/03/2023

Should race be used as a factor in college admissions? Join us to discuss at the upcoming You(th) Decide! - https://mailchi.mp/71e0ffb3055b/discussion-student-events-15751629