Lehighton Area Middle School students are reaping the benefits of one of their teachers representing Pennsylvania in a national social studies program. Teacher Erica Pagotto participated in the “We the People: Civics that Empowers All Students” program in Los Angeles, funded by a “Supporting Effective Educator Development” grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

“It was a fantastic experience,” Pagotto said of her time in the program.

The Center for Civic Education selected Pagotto for her dedication to fostering inclusive learning environments and her commitment to elevating students’ understanding of state civics standards, literacy standards, and social-emotional learning competencies.

During the program, Pagotto received 52 hours of professional development in a collaborative learning community alongside mentors and fellow teachers from neighboring states.

The Pennsylvania Council for Social Studies recognized Pagotto’s efforts, as she was honored with the prestigious President’s Award. She showcased her expertise by presenting at the Council’s conference in Pittsburgh, where she shared innovative ideas on connecting the founding principles of the country and the Constitution to modern day issues.

“A culminating activity is a Congressional hearing where students give a four-minute speech based on a set of questions on how the Constitution relates to modern day,” Pagotto said. “It’s good for the students because a lot of times they will start out with about eight minutes and have to decide what information they’re going to keep and what they will cut. After the four-minute speech, judges ask questions for about six minutes where students are expected to have a conversation showing their understanding of the materials.”

State Rep. Doyle Heffley recently visited Lehighton’s middle school to witness the mock Congressional hearing.

“He and his staff were really impressed by the students, who did a phenomenal job,” Pagotto said. “Topics included voting, first amendment rights, the Articles of Confederation and the Great Compromise.”

Lehighton Middle School Principal Steve Ebbert praised Pagotto’s dedication at a recent school board meeting.

“Erica has really been shining and doing a fantastic job for our students,” Ebbert said. “She doesn’t believe in finding negatives, only looking at the positives.” Ebbert was particularly impressed by Pagotto’s preparation of students for interactions with the state representative during the Congressional hearing.”

Board President Jeremy Glaush expressed excitement about the resurgence of civic education in the curriculum.

“Our kids need to learn these topics,” Glaush said. “They lost that over the years. To see it brought back in force is exciting.”