BackboneAmerica

This Saturday, Sept. 20, the Liberty Day organization invites teenagers to its 2008 Constitution Celebration at CU-Denver.

A nonpartisan organization dedicated to educating youth about the contents of the U.S. Constitution, Liberty Day held its very first high school “Constitution Celebration” at same location one year ago. The conference was both a success and an enjoyable experience for all involved.

Information and registration for this year’s event are at CelebrationAmerica.org.

“As a parent I am always looking for ways to increase my daughter’s knowledge of our country, its history and form of government. This conference was a great way to expose her to many important issues without boring her!” praised Mary Ehlers, a 2007 participant’s parent.

Nearly sixty high school students from across the state were in attendance. Several presenters, including Secretary of State Mike Coffman, Senate Majority Leader Ken Gordon and former Senate President John Andrews, spoke, debated or led breakout sessions at this event, which was generally hailed as “a great way to learn about our government and meet new people.”

“Attending the event gave me my first real taste of American democracy,” said Matt Baatz, a 2007 participant who is now a freshman at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. “The speakers were people I had seen before either on television or working at the Capitol. The fact that they were there and speaking on such a personal level made the government and Constitution very real.”

Liberty Day has since launched its successor program, Celebration America, as a premier program for high school and college students with the express purpose of informing students about the Constitution, inspiring them to action and involving them in the political process in a fun, interactive and engaging manner.

Saturday’s event will feature two exciting debates showing how the Constitution is applied in day-to-day life. Students will participate in engaging breakout sessions with people who are involved in government and politics. Prominent presenters like outgoing Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff and Solicitor General Dan Domenico will be in attendance.

“This is a great opportunity to work with local high school students in advancing their understanding and appreciation of the U.S. Constitution,” said Dr. Frank Sanchez, UCD Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.

The conference begins at 10:15 a.m. and will end at approximately 4:00 p.m. Lunch is provided free of charge at the Celebration America “Constitution Lunch Party.” Participants will get the chance to visit and eat lunch with elected officials of all stripes. They will also test out actual voting machines and learn about different political organizations in the state.

Jimmy Sengenberger is the National Director for Liberty Day’s Celebration America program. A 2008 honors graduate of Grandview High School in Centennial, Colorado, he is now a freshman at Regis University.