Students from around the region will explore the history and founding ideals of the United States April 3 at the second Democracy Bowl hosted by the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown.
Mark Conlon, UPJ professor and event organizer, said America 250 – the 250th anniversary of the nation – is this year’s theme for the event that will further educate and expose students to the democratic process.
“I’m so excited to see the students,” he said. “The best thing was to see the students excited last year. You could see them grasp the civic and American history knowledge and celebrate their understanding of those concepts.”
Roughly 100 students from eight districts in Bedford, Cambria, Somerset and Indiana counties are expected to attend, along with representatives from Fair Districts Pennsylvania; the Bill of Rights Institute; Classrooms Without Borders; the Pennsylvania Council of Social Studies; the Pennsylvania Bar Association; and the Rotary Club.
Students will participate in civics trivia competitions in a sixth- through eighth-grade category and a ninth- through 12th-grade category; display America 250-themed civics projects; explore a vendor section; and take campus tours.
Additionally, guests will hear opening remarks from Conlon; UPJ professor and Vice President of Academic Affairs Raymond Wrabley; and Pitt-Johns- town President Jem Spectar.
This year’s keynote speaker is Drew Crompton, a public finance attorney with Harrisburg firm McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC. Conlon said Crompton, who served the state Senate for decades and was a Commonwealth Court judge, is an active speaker whom he expects will be engaging for the students to hear from.
The purpose of the bowl is to better engage local youths with the democratic process by providing them an interactive and well-resourced environment to learn in, Conlon said.
“Democracy only continues when the citizenry is active and knowledgeable,” he said. “It’s all hands on deck to help maintain our democratic institutions and to make sure our citizenry and our leaders are making rational decisions in keeping this experiment going.”
That’s why it’s important to organize this type of event, the professor said, because if students are exposed to these ideas and information, the hope is they are motivated to spread that throughout their communities.
Greater Johnstown High School civics teacher Christian Wrabley described the bowl as “a powerful display of democracy in action” and “proof that the next generation is paying attention and ready to lead.”
“The Democracy Bowl is everything civics education should be,” he said. “It’s engaging, challenging and deeply connected to real-world impact.”
Wrabley helped organize the student summit and plans to bring dozens of students to campus for the day – four middle school teams of three, four high school teams of three and about 12 others for the civics fair.
“People often say young people are apathetic and disengaged,” he said. “Events like the Democracy Bowl provide an opportunity to prove otherwise.”
UPJ, Greater Johnstown School District, the Bill of Rights Institute and The Tribune- Democrat sponsor the bowl, which is organized through the university’s American Civic Education and Literacy Initiative.
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