Windsor High School Named a Red, White and Blue School For Fostering Strong Civic Engagement

Windsor High School is one of nine schools or districts recognized as a 2016-2017 Red, White and Blue School by the Connecticut State Department of Education and the Office of the Secretary of State. This program is available to all K through 12 schools in Connecticut and rewards "outstanding schools that develop programs that foster strong civic engagement among students." The 2016-2017 school year was its inaugural year and centered on the theme of “The Electoral Process.”

To increase civic participation during the 2016-17 school year, Windsor Public Schools implemented the 2016 Connecticut Kid Governor program in 5th grade classrooms across the district. Sponsored by the Connecticut Public Affair Network and the Connecticut Old State House, CTKidGovernor coincides with Election Day and offers each school in Connecticut the opportunity to enter one student candidate per school into a statewide election that other fifth graders vote in.

In addition, students from Windsor High School’s AP Government & Politics and UConn ECE POLS 1602 courses partnered with fifth grade classrooms across the district to serve as “Campaign Consultants.” The twelfth graders met with Brian Cofrancesco, Head of Education for Connecticut’s Old State House to gain an overview of the CTKidGovernor program and the subsequent resources available. The high school students presented two in-person lessons to their 5th grade classes including an overview of the CTKidGovernor program, an overview of the 3 Branches of State Government and how to design a successful campaign platform. They also created mini-video lessons and corresponding materials on the Role of the Governor and Choosing a Campaign Issue.

Each fifth grade classroom and building conducted their own primary race and held building-wide elections. The “Campaign Consultants” helped the winning candidate complete their video submission for the statewide competition. Joseph Grindle-Artruc was the Clover Street School's building winner. Angela Adu-Boateng was the John F. Kennedy School's building winner.

“The partnership between the twelfth grade Government & Politics students and fifth grade classrooms proved to be an incredibly worthwhile experience,” said Chris Todd, Windsor High School Social Studies teacher. “It provided an opportunity for high schoolers to not only interact with younger students from across the district, but more importantly it forced them to engage with the content material becoming both the expert and the instructor simultaneously.”

About Connecticut Kid Governor:
Connecticut’s Kid Governor is a national award-winning statewide civics program created by the Connecticut Public Affairs Network and made possible in part through support from the Connecticut Council for the Social Studies and Connecticut State Department of Education.

About Windsor Public Schools:
Windsor Public Schools serves nearly 4,000 students in the community of Windsor, Connecticut, a town located in north central Connecticut between Hartford and Springfield, Massachusetts. Windsor Public Schools is comprised of six schools: Oliver Ellsworth School, Poquonock School, Clover Street School, John F. Kennedy School, Sage Park Middle School, and Windsor High School. The mission of Windsor Public Schools is to develop the genius in every child and to create lifelong learners. For more information about the Windsor Board of Education and any of its schools, please visit www.windsorct.org.