FIRST LADY MARJORIE O. RENDELL ANNOUNCES PENNCORD PILOT SCHOOLS

HARRISBURG – First Lady Marjorie O. Rendell today announced the first ten schools from across the commonwealth to become official PennCORD pilot schools.

“I strongly believe that civic education is elementary in the lives of our children and must be taught and learned early on,” said Judge Rendell. “It is up to us to inspire an informed intellectual and emotional connection that teaches our children about their historical past so that they can use it wisely to fashion their future. Our democratic process will remain strengthened only by devoting our energies to fostering an early interest and maintaining continued understanding for the future citizens of our great democracy.

“I am excited by the prospect that several schools throughout the commonwealth will enhance their civic education efforts with the tools and resources provided by PennCORD."

Each of the ten schools was chosen for their involvement in top-flight civics programs:

PennCORD and its partners will provide each Pilot School with a rich menu of materials and resources to support the introduction of programs into their classrooms and provide the opportunity for Pilot Schools to secure mini-grants for expanding programs already in place or developing new programs. Each participating school district will be asked to prepare an audit of what they are currently doing in civic education. The audit will be conducted at the start of the Pilot School Project and then at yearly intervals in the future. The National Constitution Center will offer free admission to a variety of exciting educational programs and will, where possible, provide transportation. Pilot Schools will also receive technical assistance from both statewide and national experts in the field.

PennCORD hopes to expand their pilot school program to additional schools by the end of this year.

The Pennsylvania Coalition for Representative Democracy, PennCORD, is an organization led by Pennsylvania’s First Lady and Third Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Marjorie Rendell, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the National Constitution Center, and the Pennsylvania Department of Education. It is a coalition of educators, organizations, state government and students working together to improve civic education throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The Rendell Administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit his Web site at: www.governor.state.pa.us.