(July 11, 2006) Norman educators Jane McConnell and Brady Henderson recently participated in a national leadership conference in Washington, D.C. About 450 educators and civic leaders attended the “We the People” conference focusing on ways to expand civic education programs in elementary, middle and high schools.

McConnell serves as state coordinator for the We the People program. A recently retired Norman school teacher, she is the law-related education coordinator for the Oklahoma Bar Association. Henderson is the state alumni representative to the program.

The program is designed to educate young people about the history and principles of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights as well as stimulate an interest in public policymaking. More than 28 million students across the country have participated in We the People programs over the past 19 years.

McConnell said, “I am very proud of the seven Oklahoma educators who participated in this national professional staff development. Their dedication to these programs certainly is a direct reflection on the high caliber of students who participate in the We the People competitive programs.”

The educators met with all of the Oklahoma representatives and senators. Each congressman received an update on participation in We the People programs. McConnell said in the past three years, the program has placed 283 new civic education book sets in Oklahoma classrooms, directly affecting 105,006 students.

The We the People programs are funded by the U.S. Department of Education by act of Congress and administered nationally by the Center for Civic Education. The program is administered statewide by the Oklahoma Bar Association's Law-related Education Division. Teachers interested in free materials and training available for these programs may contact McConnell at (405) 416-7024 or janem@okbar.org.

The 15,000-member Oklahoma Bar Association, headquartered in Oklahoma City, was created by the Oklahoma Supreme Court to advance the administration of justice and to foster and maintain learning, integrity, competence, public service and high standards of conduct among Oklahoma 's legal community.