MSU teacher training institute expands constitutional knowledge

Contact: Sammy McDavid

Mississippi State will be the temporary home next week to some 30 state elementary, middle and high school teachers attending the third annual "We the People" Summer Institute.

Sponsored by the university's Center for Civic Education and funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the June 6-11 program again involves an in-depth examination of the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Participants from both public and private schools attend at no costs. Sessions are led by faculty members from MSU and other Mississippi colleges and universities.

Located in every state, island protectorates and the District of Columbia, the federally supported civic education centers work to promote a more enlightened, responsible and actively engaged citizenry committed to democratic principles.

Susie Burroughs, an assistant professor in the university's College of Education, directs the institute, which is housed in the department of curriculum and instruction.

Burroughs said the "We the People" programs are specifically designed to "help teachers help students gain a better understanding of our constitutional government."

For more information, telephone Burroughs at (662) 325-3747 or Tiffany Tindall at 325-7118.