Do you know how many articles are in the United States Constitution? These students do. The AP Government class from Eastlake High School took third place at the We the People competition in Olympia on Jan. 6. This was the first year the school participated.

The 29 students in Darin Fisher’s class prepared for competition by learning about the philosophical and historical foundations of the American political system. They also learned about the Constitution (which has seven articles), protections provided by the Bill of Rights, and challenges to democracy in the 21st century.

During the competition at the Capitol, students participated in a simulated congressional hearing with a prepared four-minute statement and six minutes of questions from volunteer judges, which included a state Supreme Court justice, council members and lawyers. 

Since its inception in 1987, more than 28 million students and 75,000 educators have participated in We the People. Civic Education Washington State, which organizes the program, also organizes Project Citizen and the James Madison Legacy Project (a grant for educators).