Readington Middle School 8th grade students present ‘Project Citizen’ Showcase to local officials
READINGTON TOWNSHIP, NJ (Hunterdon County) – Hunterdon County Commissioner Jeff Kuhl, along with a representative from Congressman Tom Kean’s office, Senator Andrew Zwicker, Assemblyman Roy Freiman, Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renée Robeson, Chief of Detectives Tim Drew, township administrators, and school staff, attended Readington Middle School’s (RMS) “Project Citizen” Showcase on January 24. The event featured civic presentations by 8th-grade students.
The purpose of the showcase is for students to recognize issues or problems within the community and then identify solutions in the form of policy that requires government involvement. The showcase challenges students to research an inquiry-based project that allows them to collaborate with experts in the field, interest groups, and even politicians who can help them affect consequential change.
Attendees are encouraged to engage with the students by asking questions and conversing with the student presenters.
“It is great to see the enthusiasm and dedication of these students as they engage in the ‘Project Citizen’ showcase. I have attended this event at Readington Middle School numerous times, and I am always impressed by how this program encourages students to identify community issues and develop practical solutions, fostering a true sense of civic engagement,” Kuhl said.
The Project Citizen curriculum is teacher-led and emphasizes the fundamentals of the public policymaking process. The teacher’s guide features detailed instruction and sample worksheets for students to complete that stimulates the curriculum’s cumulative activity into the completion of a project portfolio.
Commissioner Kuhl shared, “The Project Citizen program is a great learning opportunity for young people and a great way to encourage participation in our democratic system,” Kuhl said.
The Project Citizen Showcase is a way for students to display their research and present their policy solutions to their classroom and community. Showcases are also held at the state and national levels, where classes have the opportunity to participate and share their work with other classes from across their state or nation.
