Idaho Students Awarded in Statewide Civics Contest

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For Immediate Release

Idaho Students Awarded in Statewide Civics Contest

November 17, 2021 – Attorneys for Civic Education (ACE) is proud to announce that three Idaho students and their schools were selected for prizes in ACE’s first Civics Contest. Student essays explored Constitutional rights and correlating responsibilities.

The three winning entries were:

  • Audra Bunn, Wendell Middle School, Wendell. Audra is in eighth grade. Her essay focused on women’s voting rights, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion.
  • Adison Buzzell, Idaho Home Learning Academy, Oneida School District. Adison is in eighth grade. Adison’s essay explored freedom of expression, the right to bear arms, and the right to vote.
  • Dylan Hughes, North Junior High School, Boise. Dylan is a seventh grader. Dylan’s essay explored several constitutional amendments related to the right to vote.

The ACE Civics Contest is open to Idaho middle school students. In its inaugural year, the contest was financially sponsored by the Government and Public Sector Lawyers Section of the Idaho State Bar, whose financial contribution allowed ACE to award prizes the top three entries along with an honorarium to the school of the first-place student. The Idaho Supreme Court and the University of Idaho College of Law also provided extensive support.

Entries were critiqued by a panel of judges that included: Idaho Supreme Court Justice Gregory Moeller; Donald Burnett, retired Acting President of the University of Idaho, former Dean of the College of Law, and former Idaho Court of Appeals Judge; Pandi Elison-Chang, Ph.D., Social Studies Teacher at Preston High School, Secondary Social Studies/Adjunct Professor Idaho State University; and Melissa Davlin, Producer/Host at Idaho Public Television.

Justice Moeller said of the entries, “It was a delight to read so many inspiring essays and, frankly, reassuring to see that the rising generation has such a deep love for and understanding of the U.S. Constitution.”

Don Burnett noted regarding the essay topics, “The students identified an impressive array of constitutional provisions, including all of the first five amendments as well as the 8th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th, and 26th Amendments. Students also showed thoughtful insight into how individual rights come with personal responsibilities.”

ACE would like to thank our judges and sponsors for their support of the Civics Contest. We appreciate their dedication to advancing civic education in our state.

The winning entries are linked below:

For more information about the ACE Civics Contest, contact Carey Shoufler, Idaho Law Foundation Law Related Education Director, at cshoufler@isb.idaho.gov.

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Attorneys for Civics Education was founded in 2013 by a group of Idaho attorneys who recognized the critical importance of civic education in Idaho’s schools. Uniting ACE members is a common vision: to increase and sustain opportunities for civic education in Idaho’s schools and ensure the Idaho youth have a solid understanding of the Constitution and the Rule of Law. Through outreach, fundraising, and other civic education activities, ACE is committed to supporting a quality civic education for Idaho’s young people. More information about ACE can be found at:  attorneysforciviceducation.org.