Club Members Get Up, Stand Up
This month, eight 14- and 15-year-olds had their day in court, but they were neither defendants nor witnesses to a crime. Members of the Dearborn Boys & Girls Club at the Henry Dearborn Middle School in Roxbury participated in an eight-week civic education program titled Stand Up For Your Rights that teaches young people how to have a voice through the legal system.
Their assignment was to prepare facts and arguments for two cases dealing with First and Fourth Amendment rights of students. The Club members worked hands-on with an attorney who volunteered his time, and with staff from the Club and its program partner, Discovering Justice. The program culminated on March 10 in a mock trial, as members presented their arguments to the Honorable Patti B. Saris at the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse in Boston.
“I was really nervous presenting in front of the judge, but it was such an honor to get to do that,” said Keith, age 15, who argued for the defendant in the case of Board of Education of Independent School District No. 92 of Pottawatomie County v. Lindsay Earls. “This experience taught me to try more things that make me nervous. It also taught me to be logical.”
Dearborn Club Director Josh Davis believes the program works because Club members feel a deep connection to the cases to which they are assigned. “They deal with topics they can relate to, such as school administrators searching students’ bags or performing random drug tests,” he said.
“This has empowered the teens in our neighborhood,” said Denise Dryden, the Dearborn Club Senior Team Leader. “Often times our members walk home from the Club in a large group. It’s natural for the police to want to confront them and see what’s going on. They need to know their rights in that situation.”
About Discovering Justice
Discovering Justice's mission is to educate about the role of the justice system in American democracy. Federal and state judges dedicate their time to serve as teachers, educating the public about the federal judiciary. Lawyers participate as volunteers, teachers and mentors to students. These volunteers help strengthen democracy and encourage engaged citizenship amongst the youngest of citizens through adults. www.discoveringjustice.org