Leon Ping, a Lexington High School student, never would have considered applying to this program on his own. But after a friend recommended it, he decided to pursue an opportunity to immerse himself in a field he had not yet explored. Ping said that civics is something that can be useful in a lot of careers. “So I was like, ‘Why not apply?’” he said.
Now in its second year, the Kennedy-Breyer Civic Scholars Summer Program provides rising 10th grade students with a free summer experience to explore the interconnectedness of the three branches of government. The program is a partnership between the Breyer Learning Center at Moakley Federal Courthouse, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate.
Applications are distributed through the mailing lists of educators the three partner organizations work with, and require students to submit an essay as part of the process. Each application is then reviewed by staff before spots are offered.
“The program began as an informal conversation between the Kennedy Institute and the JFK Library,” said Sarah Yezzi, chief education officer at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate. It was only once they teamed up with the Moakley Courthouse that they noticed something unusual. “I think we’re the only city in the country that has an institution representing the executive, legislative and judicial with the federal courthouse,” said Yezzi.
One of the main goals throughout the week-long program is “to equip students with a new sort of muscle memory of wrestling with political problems,” said Nate Gundy, director of education at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate. Through various hands-on activities and learning simulations, students develop their muscle memory as they trace the “First Step Act,” a criminal justice reform bill, through the legislative, executive and judicial systems.
Along with Ping, Pavithra Sandeep, Pradnaya Upadhyay, Aditi Nair and Audrey Tanin were the five students from Lexington selected to participate in the program.
Throughout the various simulations the students are placed in each day, “they really get a taste of the reality of these decisions,” said Gundy.
“We have a full-scale replica of the Senate Chamber,” said Gundy, giving students the chance to step into the shoes of lawmakers and experience the legislative process firsthand. Gundy said he hopes that later on when students read decisions made in U.S. history or encounter them in the news, “there’s a sense where they can imagine the real people making these decisions.”
Gundy said the experience can also help these students build more “stamina” for their schoolwork. Especially at a college level, he hopes this process will teach them the value of patience in research. “It’s a valuable lesson that’ll really reinforce the rest of their education,” he said.
The students’ roles vary throughout the week. At the Moakley Courthouse, they sit in real courtrooms with federal judges, participate in workshops on compassionate release and later take part in mock hearings before the judges. They also spend time at the JFK Presidential Library where they learn about the executive branch.
“It’s such a unique opportunity to have kids either have a simulated or real experience that sort of addresses the three branches,” said Yezzi.
For the students, the shifting roles gave them an opportunity to encounter perspectives that they wouldn’t have otherwise.
“I think it’s also eye-opening, because you know how members of Congress feel when they go through this process,” said Sandeep.
Ping said this also pushed him to consider issues he typically only hears about in the news. “This helps me think about what other people could go through and get a new perspective,” he said.
For Yezzi, the goal of this program extends beyond the week itself. “We’re really excited to work with these young people who are interested in government and history, and are just coming with really great questions and enthusiasm,” she said. “We’re hoping they get a lot out of it.”