Middle School Model Congress—hosted for the first time at Chapin—was a resounding success! Through Model Congress, student “legislators” are assigned to committees where they debate dozens of bills covering a vast array of domestic and international topics.
Students from 13 schools, including 20 Chapin scholars from Classes 6 and 7, who have been working diligently on their bills for close to three months, participated in the event. All attending schools also brought high school students to serve as Chairs/Parliamentarians and help moderate and run the programs. These high school debaters were also charged with selecting the “golden gavel” recipients, an award given to the best middle school legislator in each committee. We were thrilled to have three Chapin students presented with this wonderful designation!
Among the many advantages that accrue through tournaments such as these are collaboration, speech writing and public speaking skills; confidence; and learning how to support claims and rebuttals with persuasive evidence. Model Congress is just one area of Chapin’s expanding Speech & Debate program, which underscores the importance of civil discourse, thoughtful research and keen listening.
Below, you’ll find just a few of the many bills debated:
- An Act to Help Under-Resourced Countries With Medical Issues
- Free Community College Act
- Felon Voting Rights Act
- Vaping Regulation Act
- Age Limit of 75 to Serve Elected Office
- Butterfly Protection Act
- Cleaner Modes of Transportation Act
- An Act to Eliminate Student Debt
- An act to abolish corporal punishment in public schools
- An act to provided free healthcare for both physical and mental health
- An Act to Modify Federal Animal Testing Laws
- An Act to Create a National Digital Literacy Curriculum
