Last modified: Thursday, April 17, 2003
High school students to share views on foreign policy at Indiana Statehouse on Friday
EDITORS: In addition to the contacts listed elsewhere on this release, contact information for participating school teachers is provided at the end.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- High school students will share their views on U.S. foreign policy when they convene at the state's first Capitol Forum on Friday (April 18) at Indiana government offices in Indianapolis.
Representatives from eight high schools will participate in Capitol Forum Indiana, which is sponsored by a partnership of Columbus East High School; the Geography Educators Network of Indiana; the Indiana Council for the Social Studies; the Indiana Department of Education; the Indiana Historical Society; Indiana University's Center for the Study of Global Change; IU's Center for International Business, Education and Research; and the International Center of Indianapolis.
CFI was founded by the Choices for the 21st Century Education Program at Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies, to encourage students to discuss the role America should play in the increasingly complex international environment.
During the forum, the students will examine their own views of international policy and share them with Indiana's policymakers and issue experts, including staff representatives from Sen. Evan Bayh and Sen. Richard Lugar who will participate in a panel discussion forum on Friday afternoon.
Events will be held from 8:30 to 9:15 a.m. in the General Assembly on the third floor of the Capitol Building, from 9:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Indiana Department of Education, and from 1 to 4 p.m. in the General Assembly. Access to both buildings, which will be officially closed for Good Friday, will be through the north doors on Ohio Avenue. Security checks will be at both entrances.
"This is a civic education opportunity for students to discuss and interact with peers statewide, as well as the professionals, regarding United States foreign policy," said Julie Patterson, co-lead teacher for CFI and a teacher at Hauser High School in Hope, Ind. "Through participation in the entire CFI program, students will experience the relevance of informed citizenship and policymaking."
Students from participating schools first consider a wide range of current international issues within the context of their social studies classes. Student representatives selected to participate in the forum develop expertise in one of four content areas -- immigration, trade, environment and conflict. After the forum, the student representatives will share what they learned with their classmates, and all participating students will vote on U.S. foreign policy using a national ballot provided by the Choices program. Results will be shared with U.S. representatives and senators.
Teams from the following high schools will participate: Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers), McCutcheon (Lafayette), Signature School (Evansville), Floyd Central (Floyds Knobs), Columbus East (Columbus), Hauser (Hope) and Winamac (Winamac).
"U.S. foreign policy may not seem important to America's adolescents, so it is important for them to see how issues and conflict in the rest of the world can affect their country," said Jill Baisinger, co-lead teacher for CFI and a teacher at Hamilton Southeastern High School.
Contact information for participating high school teachers:
Jill Baisinger, Hamilton Southeastern, 317-594-4190
Lou Camilotto, McCutcheon, 765-474-1488
Roz Fishman, Floyd Central, 812-923-8811
Attilia Gogel, Signature School, 812-421-1820
Julie Patterson, Hauser, 812-546-4421
Tony Pottorff, Columbus East, 812-376-4343
Kristin Sikorski, Hamilton Southeastern, 317-594-4190
Kevin Zupin, Winamac, 574-946-6151
