iCivics Website Unveiled

Former senator and astronaut John Glenn and retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor teamed up to launch iCivics Ohio and just unveiled a new website designed to bring students up to speed on civic education.

Glenn and Justice O’Connor are concerned with lack of knowledge students have about government and citizenship. The website makes sure civic education isn’t an afterthought for schools and their students.

Ohio students will have the opportunity to access digital civic-education lesson plans made specifically for teachers.

As you may know, I’m an iCivics representative for the state of Ohio, so this program is very near and dear to my heart.

Please click HERE to read more about the website. And leave a comment below if you have any questions about the program.

 

 

Statehood Day Honors Ohio’s Admittance Into the Union

Did you know that Ohio was the 17th state to be admitted to the Union? There is some dispute about the actual date in 1803 when that occurred, but Statehood Day is marked by historical and preservation societies in the Buckeye state every March 1.

Today, a lunchtime celebration will be held at the Ohio Historical Society in Columbus, featuring one of Ohio’s favorite sons. John Glenn, a former U.S. Senator from Ohio and the first American astronaut to orbit the earth 50 years ago, will be the keynote speaker. Admission is free.

Even if you won’t be in our capital city, there are ways to remember the birthday of our state. Take a look at the Ohio Statehouse website for interesting information about Ohio. http://www.ohiostatehouse.org/Index.aspx?playVideo=False

You might also want to see photographs of the actual documents that show the birth of the state, dating back to the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. http://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/ohio-statehood/index.html

There is a wealth of material available to help us appreciate our roots. Happy 209th birthday Ohio!