Congress in the Classroom® is a national, award-winning education program now in its tenth year. It is sponsored by The Dirksen Congressional Center located in Pekin, Illinois in cooperation with Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois, and is dedicated to the exchange of ideas and information on teaching about Congress. Congress in the Classroom® is designed for secondary school teachers and junior and community college faculty who teach U.S. history, government civics, political science, or social studies. Between 30 and 35 teachers are selected each year to take part in the program. Nearly 200 applied for the 2001 program.

The 2002 program theme will be "Congress and Public Policy." Individual sessions will be offered on these topics, among others: the policy agenda for the current Congress, how public policies are produced in the legislative process, the role of congressional leaders in shaping policy, the budgetary process, the impact of the off-year elections on policy, and the relationship between the President and Congress. Participants will also gain experience with The Center's educational Web site, CongressLink -- (http://www.congresslink.org) -- which features online access to lesson plans, student activities, historical materials, related Web sites, and subject matter experts. Throughout the program participants will work with national experts as well as colleagues from across the nation. This combination of first-hand knowledge and peer-to-peer interaction will present new ideas, materials, and a professionally enriching experience.

The workshop will be held July 29 - August 1, 2002, on the campus of Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. Congress in the Classroom® is free to participants. Participants will have the option of purchasing one hour of graduate credit from Bradley University; the cost in 2001 was $415.

The deadline for application is April 17, 2002. Enrollment is competitive and limited to thirty-five. Selection will be determined by The Center. Individuals will be notified of their acceptance status by May 15.

Take a look at The Dirksen Center Web site - (http://www.pekin.net/dirksen/prog congressinclassroom.htm#what) -- to see what participants say about the program.

If you are interested in registering for the Congress in the Classroom® 2002 workshop, you can complete an online registration form found at: (http://www.pekin.net/dirksen/CiC application.htm).

CONTACT:
Frank H. Mackaman
The Dirksen Congressional Center
301 South 4th Street, Suite A
Pekin, IL 61554
fmackaman@pekin.net
Phone: (309) 347-7113
Fax: (309) 347-6432