Our 2020 Legislative Scholar Program has reached capacity and registration is now closed.
To be placed on a waitlist or to receive information about the 2021 Legislative Scholar Program, please email Civic.Ed@leg.wa.gov.
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Our 2020 Legislative Scholar Program will be held virtually July 20-23, 2020.
All K-12 educators in Washington are welcome and participants will earn 20+ clock hours completely free of charge.
Due to the limitations of our platform, participants will be accepted on a first come, first served basis.
Accepted participants will reveive an email confirming their attendance.
About the Legislative Scholar Program
The Legislative Scholar Program provides social studies, history, government and civics teachers from across Washington an opportunity to learn first-hand about the state legislative process and the ways in which the Legislature, agencies, and the state Supreme Court interact. The program is provided by the Legislature's
Civic Education Program and there is no registration fee. Participating teachers will leave with valuable resources and ideas to teach civics in their classrooms. Follow us on
Facebook and
Twitter for photos and updates on past and current programs. Do you know someone who may be interested in becoming a Legislative Scholar? Share our 2020 program flyer with them today!
The Legislative Scholar Program is a summer workshop in Olympia. It offers an interactive experience for teachers to gain an inside view of the legislative process and develop in-depth strategies for bringing meaningful civics experiences into their classrooms. The program is a result of the Washington State Legislature's commitment to increasing civic knowledge and education about representative democracy in Washington.
Activities include:
Meetings with legislators, Supreme Court Justices, lobbyists, and other policymakers
Learning how the legislative, executive, and judicial branches interact
Resource sessions with public and non-profit civic education organizations
Interactive mock committee hearing and budget solving exercise
Developing lesson plans and classroom activities about state government
Registration for the Legislative Scholar Program is free and all program materials are provided by the Legislature. Participants are responsible for their own travel, lodging, and most meals. The Washington State Legislature Civic Education Program is a certified clock hour provider. Teachers receive clock hours free of charge for their participation.
The Legislative Scholar Program is produced by the nonpartisan civic education offices of the Washington State Senate and House of Representative as a source of professional development and classroom resources for educators.
Register to be a Legislative Scholar
To register, fill out our online registration form. You'll receive an automatic email upon submission and we will contact you shortly thereafter to confirm your participation.
In completing your registration, please make sure to provide phone and email where you can be reliably reached during the summer.
Lesson Plans & Classroom Resources
The central goal of the Legislative Scholar Program is to help teachers develop a rich library of resources to integrate civics and citizenship into their classrooms. Throughout your week in Olympia, you will work on developing lesson plans and adapting your understanding of state government into classroom-focused activities and concrete learning objectives for students. Because civics is a hands-on, life-long practice, Legislative Scholars emphasizes simulations, critical thinking, civil discussion, and authentic learning in our approach. Over ten years of Legislative Scholars have contributed to
the lesson plans in our collection, and we always welcome ideas for more!
For more information please contact:
House Civic Education Director
Leo O'Leary at (360) 786-7889 or Leo.OLeary@leg.wa.gov
Senate Civic Education Director Colleen Rust at (360) 786-7016 or Colleen.Rust@leg.wa.gov
