COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O. BOX 2120
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120
ELEMENTARY /
MIDDLE / SECONDARY
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TO: |
Principals |
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FROM: |
Patricia I.
Wright Assistant
Superintendent for Instruction |
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SUBJECT: |
Virginia
State Bar Young Lawyers provides free school programs |
The Virginia
State Bar Young Lawyers, an arm of the Virginia State Bar, provides five free
programs to Virginia schools.
1. The Peer Mediation Project informs middle and high school students
of the importance of learning how to manage conflict. The Young Lawyers
Conference provides a forum with set standards and guidelines on how to handle
conflict resolution. This program allows students to mediate disputes that
occur in school with the guidance of the staff at the schools and the
assistance of young lawyers. Contact Kellye Curtis Clarke, at (703) 549-9800.
2. The Diversity Tolerance Initiative is designed for lawyers to help strengthen the diversity that makes our democratic society thrive by promoting respect among children for those who look different, act different or share different beliefs through separate projects for third grade and high school juniors and seniors:
a.
The Welcome to School: Helping Kids Belong
Program is presented to third-grade classes by a lawyer.
The goal of this project is to promote the ideas of respect, consideration and
kindness. Contact Savalle C. Sims at (202) 857-8948.
b.
The Taking Hate Out of the Classroom Program
is designed for junior and senior high school students as part of the Hate
Crimes and Violence Outreach program offered by the American Bar Association.
Through this program, lawyers lead discussions with students about hate and
bias acts and crimes. Contact Jennifer McClellan at (804) 788-8571.
3.
The General Assembly Project organizes
guided tours of the State Capitol, Supreme Court of Virginia and/or the Library
of Virginia for Virginia middle school students. Arrangements are sometimes
made for students to have lunch with a legislator from their district. Contact
Savalle C. Sims at (202) 857-8948.
4.
The So You are 18 Project provides
a handbook for students that highlights the ways in which an individuals legal
rights and responsibilities change as they reach 18 and move into the world of
adulthood. The handbook includes information on voting, military service, jury
duty, and criminal charges. It also provides information on landlord/tenant
issues, marriage and divorce, employment, credit, consumer rights, and wills.
Contact Kellye Curtis Clarke at (703) 549-9800.
For further
information, please contact Colleen C. Bryant (cbryant@mail.vak12ed.edu), history
and social science specialist for secondary education, at (804) 786-4640.
PIW/CCB