As part of the “American Legislators Back to School” program, N.C. Rep. Fred Steen will speak to GED students at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Wednesday at 11 a.m..
Steen, R-Rowan, the deputy Republican whip, will talk to students about the North Carolina General Assembly, especially the N.C. House of Representatives.
The interactive class session will meet in Building 100, room 108, at RCCC’s North Campus in Salisbury.
Each year, state legislators from across the country visit classrooms and bring civics to life in the America’s Legislators Back to School program. As the program approaches its 10th year, a new study indicates legislators who visit classrooms improve students’ knowledge and appreciation of American democracy.
The study commissioned by the National Conference of State Legislatures and conducted by Turcotte Public Administration Consulting and Training LLC examined the impact of the America’s Legislators Back to School program on participating students’ understanding and appreciation of representative democracy. Evaluators tested middle school students in Louisiana (fall 2006) and Wyoming (spring 2008).
In both states, students who participated in the America’s Legislators Back to School program scored significantly higher than students who did not have a classroom visit on concepts such as appreciation of the right of every citizen to be heard by his or her representatives; the procedures a state legislature uses to resolve differences about public policy including debate, negotiation and compromise; and representative democracy is a system in which individuals vote to elect representatives to an assembly that represents the people in deciding issues.
Steen’s visit to RCCC is being coordinated by Beth Bowman, a basic skills instructor at the college. For more information about RCCC’s GED program, contact Gary Connor at 704-216-3510 or 704-216-3723, or by e-mail to connorg@rowancabarrus.edu.