MORGANTOWN, W.Va.— The West Virginia University College of Law will host the District 2 We the People competition on Thursday morning.
The competition includes 73 high school students vying for a spot in the state competition and ultimately to the nationals in April of 2027.
Senior Director of Marketing & Communications Patrice Snow said the opening is planned for about 9:15 a.m., depending on the arrival of school buses, and the closing ceremony is planned for 11:30 a.m.
“High school students from the area who will be competing for this honor so they could compete in the state competition later this year and they could then compete in the national competition in Washington, D.C., in April of 2027,” Snow said.
“High school students from the area who will be competing for this honor so they could compete in the state competition later this year and they could then compete in the national competition in Washington, D.C., in April of 2027,” Snow said.
The Center for Civic Education’s We the People program helps students build constitutional knowledge and practice the skills of civic life. Those skills include examining evidence, developing arguments, listening across differences, and explaining their positions thoughtfully. This competition is an opportunity for the students to demonstrate their knowledge under pressure and be recognized for it.
“I think we all know our democracy and our country are in a very perilous time, and we have to make sure we stand true to our constitutional principles and how our founding fathers and founding mothers intended our country to be, which is a true constitutional democracy,” Snow said.
The competition will include 26 students from Brooke County High School, 34 from Morgantown High School, and 13 from Robert C. Byrd High School. The students all study for the event using We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution, which provides information about government, citizenship, and constitutional democracy. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Aloi will serve as both the judge and assist in the awards ceremony.
“Young people who are so engaged, so aware, and so ready to argue for their points and why they feel so strongly,” Snow said. “And to learn how to honestly disagree respectfully as well.”
Snow said the program starts in elementary school, and as students advance into middle and high schools, the textbooks continue to challenge them. Students have the event and preparation, which gives them a more complete understanding of our country, how it was founded, and how to participate in the process.
“We can’t expect people to vote and understand our civic system at 18 if they haven’t been given the tools to do so,” Snow said. “This kind of competition and civics education and social studies courses prepare our young people to participate in our communities when they reach voting age.”
The winners will advance to the We the People state competition planned at the U.S. District Court, Courtroom 5000, in Charleston on December 16 of this year. Those winners will advance to the national competition that is scheduled for April 17 through 19 of 2027.
“They get to meet people their age from all across the nation that are just as passionate about civic education and participating in civic life as they are,” Snow said. “It is really something special, and we’re actually celebrating our 40th anniversary year in April of next year.”