Teaching Public Policy Through Student Engagement
Wyoming Project Citizen
January 30 -31, 2015
Friday, January 30, 2015
2:00 Check-in/Registration/Orientation Activity – American Heritage Center 2nd floor
2:30 Welcome, goals, and introductions – AHC Stock Growers Room, Dick Kean
2:45 What is Project Citizen – Dick Kean, Wyoming Project Citizen Coordinator
3:00 What is Public Policy – Dr. Larry Gerston, San Jose State University
4:00 Activities re: Public Policy - Dr. Gerston
 Identifying public policy issues
 Is it a public policy?
4:45 Break
5:00 What role do citizens play in making public policy? - Dr. Gerston
6:30 Dinner sponsored by The Wyoming School – University Partnership – Audrey Kleinsasser
7:30 Panel Discussion: How Do We Promote Civil Discourse? – Wyoming School University
Partnership featuring, Heal Up and Hair Over: A Wyoming Civility Reader – Audrey
Shalinsky, Associate Dean UW College of Arts and Sciences Moderator, Panelists: Teena
Gabrielson, UW Political Science Department Head, Shannon Smith, Executive Director of
Wyoming Humanities Council, Leslie Capps, Associate Director, Wyoming Humanities
Council, and Mark Helmsing Secondary Education, UW College of Education.
8:00 Reading “Hamburgers in Jeffrey City” by Marko Ruble – Audrey Shalinsky, Facilitator
8:15 Discussion – Audrey Shalinsky, Moderator
8:45 Wrap Up and First Day Evaluation – Dick Kean
9:00 Adjourn
Saturday, January 31, 2015
7:45 Continental Breakfast provided by WY PC.
8:00 What Does a Project Citizen Classroom Look Like? - Dawn Strand, CY Middle School
Teacher
8:30 Doing Project Citizen – Dawn Strand
 Identifying and selecting a Public Policy Problem
 Gathering Information on the Problem
 Developing a Portfolio
o The Problem
o Alternative Solutions
o Preferred Solution
o Action Plan
11:30 Tour of the American Heritage Center – Rick Ewig, Associate Director
12:00 Lunch provided by WY PC
12:30 Presenting Your Portfolio
 The Evaluation Process
 Presentations of Portfolios
2:30 Break
2:45 Reflections on the Process
3:00 Envisioning Citizenship Education and Social Studies in Wyoming – Mark Helmsing, Dick
Kean, and Matt Strannigan, We the People State Coordinator
3:30 The Next Steps:
 State Showcase, Distribution of Materials, PTSB and UW Credit, and Evaluation
 Collaboration with UW College of Education – Mark Helmsing
4:00 Adjourn