Ученица школы из Шеридана получила приз за эссе о равенстве в штате Вайоминг

CHEYENNE — Hannah Mowry, a Sheridan High School student, was recognized Saturday in a 250th anniversary Independence Day ceremony at the Wyoming State Capitol for her award-winning essay in the statewide “We the People” civic education program. We the People originates from the Center for Civic Education. It is a comprehensive curriculum for elementary, middle and high school students covering the history and principles of constitutional democracy in the United States. Participating students take part in simulated congressional hearings, where they testify before a panel of judges acting as members of Congress. In addition to state competitions across the country, every spring, the center hosts the We the People National Finals and National Invitational for high school and middle school students in Washington, D.C. Organizers said the essay contest and program aim to strengthen constitutional literacy and encourage students to carry civic engagement into adulthood. U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., opened the ceremony as its keynote speaker. Barrasso connected the celebration to the founding of the nation, and unrolled a copy of the Declaration of Independence. He described the Declaration as both a historical document and a philosophical foundation, encouraging attendees to revisit its original text. “If you read through this, it’s actually a letter of protest to King George III,” Barrasso said while holding the document. “And they said, ‘You’ve done this and you’ve done this and you’ve done this, and we’re done with you. We’re declaring our independence.’” Barrasso also emphasized the structure of American governance, saying, “The power doesn’t come from the king. Power comes from God, and then the people — we the people. We the people lend the power to the government.” Mowry is a Sheridan High School rising senior and We the People essay contest winner. She described her involvement in the program, explaining how it is integrated into her AP Government coursework. “We took AP Government and We the People at the same time,” Mowry said. “From the beginning of school to about Christmastime, we worked on our statewide We the People questions, and then we competed and we made nationals. Then, from January to April, we worked on our We the People questions for nationals.” Marion also talked about her experience at nationals in Washington, D.C. “D.C. was really fun,” Mowry said. “We did a lot more than just compete. … We did lots of touring. We went to monuments, museums. We met our senators (at) Capitol Hill on the stairs, and we (did) a tour, and it was just a good experience overall.” The program featured Mowry’s winning essay tied to the 250th anniversary theme, which asked students to connect the Declaration of Independence to Wyoming’s identity as the Equality State, and to consider its future over the next 50 years. The exact question Mowry had to answer was, “In 500 words or less, answer the following: How do the Declaration’s claims about equality and self-government connect to Wyoming’s history as the Equality State? What needs to happen in the next 50 years to ensure Wyoming remains in or rediscovers its role as the Equality State?” In her essay, Mowry wrote, “Wyoming’s 1869 Women’s Suffrage Act became the first statute to transform the Declaration’s principles into society.” She also argued that civic participation remains uneven, writing that “significant portions of the population are civically disengaged,” and referring to ongoing gender and economic disparities in the state. “The Declaration’s vision of self-government is undermined as long as Wyoming’s gender and economic disparities fail to reflect the equality upon which it was founded,” Mowry read from her essay. “History is not a noun, it is a verb.” Marion concluded that, in order to remain the Equality State over the next 50 years, Wyoming must “evolve its legacy of suffrage into a 21st-century model of self-government and socioeconomic parity through civic education and targeted engagement of young adults.” Andy Pannell, state coordinator for We the People, closed the ceremony by complimenting participants and emphasizing the importance of civic understanding in public life. “Not all high school kids can sound like that,” Pannell said. “Hannah’s obviously a very special individual herself, but we’re very proud of this program and its efforts to give kids civic literacy. They know how to ‘speak government’ when they get through these programs, and I think Hannah is a perfect example of that.” Mowry received a certificate and $1,000 at the end of the ceremony.