Celebrating 20 Years of Simulated Congressional Hearings in Howard County

June 3rd, 2024

This May marked the 20th year that Howard County Public School System 5th graders have participated in Simulated Congressional Hearings (SCH). What began as a pilot program at Triadelphia Ridge Elementary School (TRES) in 2003 today is part of the social studies curriculum for every HCPSS 5th grader.

Students begin preparing for SCH as soon at the start of the school year, covering four units over the course of the year: the U.S. Constitution, Our Changing Nation, Defending Freedom, and We the People.

As they study each of the four units, students learn how to analyze multiple sources of information for reliability and bias; read current events to connect what’s happened in the past to what’s happening in the present; learn key civics skills and content; are exposed to multiple perspectives of people throughout history; work collaboratively with peers; speak in public; and explore how they can play a role as active members of the community.

“I am always so impressed with what students are able to do while participating in the Simulated Congressional Hearings,” said Jessica Determann, 5th Grade Instructional Team Leader at TRES. “They are able to connect events like the creation of the Constitution to events that are currently going on in the world around them. The students make our country’s history relevant to their own lives, which is no easy task! This experience gives them the foundation to develop into knowledgeable citizens as they grow and venture out into the world.”

“SCH was very fun but also very challenging,” said TRES 5th grader Shayaan. “I like the practice that went into getting ready for it, talking with my group, collaborating, setting initiatives and having a great time with friends. And our teachers were helpful in giving us resources and tips to make sure we were prepared.”

TRES 5th grader Julian remarked that he was most proud of all the time he spent working on his presentation and trying to make it the best it could be, adding that he will also remember the time he spent collaborating with his team.

“I’m proud of the speech we wrote,” said TRES 5th grader Hanna. “It took us a long time to write, and we had to make a lot of adjustments. But I got to learn a lot of new things and work with my friends, so overall SCH was pretty fun.”

TRES 5th grader Aarav shared the same sense of pride after SCH was over, “I’m proud of doing SCH and for spending hours on research and learning a lot about social studies.”

After spending the school year preparing, teams of students demonstrate what they’ve learned during a Simulated Congressional Hearing in front of a panel of judges made up of members of the community. Often judges include state and local officials, government employees, current or former members of the armed forces, community leaders, fire and police officials, parents and more. Every year, over 500 community members volunteer for SCH across Howard County’s 42 elementary schools.

“One of the most powerful parts of this program is witnessing the personal interactions between community leaders, elected officials, government employees, HCPSS staff and leaders, and our students,” said Kim Eggborn, HCPSS Coordinator for Elementary Social Studies.

When asked what he liked most about SCH, Aarav said meeting the judges was his favorite part.

Hanna agreed, “I like how nice the judges are.”

The judges also made an impression on Shayaan. “Something I’ll remember about today is the judges complimenting us. They were super nice and gave us feedback that will have an impact if I ever do a group presentation again.”

SCH was originally developed for high school students by the Center for Civic Education as a culminating activity for the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution program, a nationally acclaimed civic education program. When HCPSS social studies staff learned of the program, they decided to adapt the content to make it appropriate for elementary students.

While other elementary schools across the country participate in SCH, Howard County is the only school system in Maryland — and in the nation — where all 5th graders participate.

“This is my 20th year judging and I go to as many schools as I can each year because I want to make sure we can keep this program going,” said former Senator Gail Bates, who tried to make SCH part of the statewide social studies curriculum when she served on the State Board of Education. “These students are learning to express themselves, gaining an understanding of how freedom works in this country and what makes us different as a nation. These kids are going to be great citizens because of the things they’ve learned through SCH.”

More information about the Simulated Congressional Hearings is available online.

The photos featured here were taken during the 2024 Simulated Congressional Hearings at Lisbon and Triadelphia Ridge Elementary Schools.