Capitol Forum Archives
October 2007
Students
want limited international involvement
In a recent
national survey, Nebraska high school students agreed that the
guiding principle of U.S. foreign policy should be to protect
homeland security by limiting our international involvement.
More than
380 students completed ballots as part of the ninth Nebraska Capitol
Forum on America’s Future, co-sponsored by the Nebraska Humanities
Council and Secretary of State John Gale’s office. Students in
Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, Rhode Island,
Washington, and West Virginia also participated in the 2007 Capitol
Forum. Nationwide, 1,508 students submitted ballots expressing their
concerns, priorities and vision for our nation’s future.
Choosing
from four distinct proposals for the future of U.S. foreign policy,
more than 60 percent of Nebraska respondents and 56 percent of
national respondents identified as their first or second choice a
future in which the United States would protect U.S. global
interests by being selective in our international involvement,
cultivating key trade relationships to ensure access to crucial
materials, and stopping the spread of nuclear weapons.
Among the
four proposals, the most popular first choice in Nebraska (33
percent) and nationally (37 percent) was to protect the homeland by
sharply scaling back foreign involvement. Students favored this
policy even if it might “upset the worldwide balance of power and
cause insecure countries to seek nuclear, biological and chemical
weapons.” This proposal ranked first in Nebraska and third
nationally in both 2005 and 2006.
For the
fourth consecutive year, a future in which the U.S. would spread
democracy around the world was the least popular policy in both
Nebraska and the nation.
When
Nebraska students were asked what foreign policy actions should be
taken, for the second consecutive year they ranked as their first
priority a crack-down on illegal immigration and a policy to accept
fewer immigrants (71 percent). Nationally, new immigration policies
ranked sixth (61 percent) while setting environmental standards
ranked first. Between 2006 and 2007, environmental standards fell
from second priority to fourth in Nebraska. Placing trade sanctions
on countries that threaten their neighbors ranked second for
students in Nebraska and nationally.
As part of
Capitol Forum, 100 students and 24 teachers from high schools in
Lincoln, Omaha, Bellevue, Ashland, Cambridge, Chadron, Curtis,
Dodge, Genoa, Hampton, Hastings, Hemingford, Holdrege, Howells,
Lynch, North Platte, Springfield, Stella, Sterling, Sumner, and
Wilcox will gather on March 31 at the State Capitol to debate the
four options for the future of U.S. foreign policy. Afterwards, they
will return to their schools to broaden the discussion with
classmates and complete the survey. Among the topics to be discussed
are immigration, terrorism, the environment, international trade,
and proliferation of nuclear weapons.
The Capitol
Forum curriculum is provided by Brown University’s Watson Institute
for International Studies. In Nebraska, Capitol Forum is funded in
part by the Cooper Foundation, Anne Stuart Batchelder, Merrill
Lynch, Duncan Family Trust, Mrs. J. Allan Mactier, A to Z Printing,
Nebraska Council of School Administrators, and the “We the People”
initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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July 2007
Teachers
statewide chosen for 10th Capitol Forum
The Nebraska Humanities Council has selected 28
high school teachers to participate in the 10th annual Nebraska
Capitol Forum on America’s Future. Eleven teachers and eight schools
are new to the program.
Schools and teachers chosen for the 2008 Capitol
Forum are: Ashland-Greenwood High School (Brian Petermann),
Cambridge High School (George Lytle), Chadron High School (Keith
Walton), Medicine Valley High School in Curtis (Barry Mraz), Dodge
High School (Patty Novicki), Norris High School in Firth (Scott
Harrington), Twin River High School in Genoa (Ryan Sidwell), Hampton
High School (Patrick Alexander), Hastings High School (Robert Kerr),
Hemingford High School (Dave Chatelain), Holdrege High School (Chad
Bailey), Howells High School (Scott Polacek), Lincoln North Star
High School (Mike Gillotti), Pius X High School in Lincoln (Tom Seib),
Lynch High School (Jeff Hart), Omaha Benson High School (Susan
Jensen), Omaha Bryan High School (James Rowe), Mercy High School in
Omaha (Kim Meyer), Westside High School in Omaha (Mike Honeyman),
Platteview High School in Springfield (Jon Comine), Southeast
Consolidated School in Stella (Peggy Williams), Sterling High School
(Arlo Wusk), Sumner-Eddyville-Miller High School (Dee Thompson),
Centennial High School in Utica (Trent Goldsmith), Weeping Water
High School (Michael Barrett), and Wilcox-Hildreth High School (Ken
Meyers).
Robin Kratina of Bellevue West High School and N.
Dennis Fornander of North Platte High School will participate as
lead teachers. Together, they have nine years of combined Capitol
Forum experience.
Capitol Forum is designed to engage high school
social studies students and teachers in a discussion of our nation’s
future in a changing international environment. It seeks to develop
a foundation for long-term civic engagement by giving students a
voice in public consideration of current issues. Students study and
discuss various positions on global concerns—even, on occasion,
advocating positions opposed to their own—to better understand
options and their consequences. Issues include terrorism, nuclear
weapon proliferation, immigration trends, trade and the global
economy, and environmental concerns.
On Aug. 6, the teachers will gather at Bellevue
West for a workshop to discuss forum curriculum, teaching
strategies, and results from the 2007 Capitol Forum student ballots.
The workshop will include a field trip to UNMC’s BioSecurity
Preparedness lab and guest speakers who will address the potential
impact of bioterrorism on Nebraska’s population, agriculture and
water, and the how the state would respond.
In February, teachers will meet in Lincoln for a
planning day that will feature a guest speaker on environmental
concerns with a special focus on water. On March 31, teachers will
bring student representatives to the State Capitol to report on and
deliberate over the international concerns of their classmates, and
to discuss issues with elected officials.
The Nebraska Humanities Council presents Capitol
Forum in collaboration with the office of Secretary of State John
Gale and the Choices for the 21st Century Project, an
outreach of Brown University’s Watson Institute for International
Studies. The 2008 Capitol Forum is funded in part by the Cooper
Foundation and the “We the People” initiative of the National
Endowment for the Humanities.
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April 2007
Humanities Council seeks teachers for
Capitol Forum
Applications must be in by May 15 for Nebraska
high school teachers who want to participate in the tenth annual
Nebraska Capitol Forum on America’s Future.
Twenty-five teachers statewide will be selected to participate in
the program.
Capitol Forum is designed to engage high school students in a
discussion of our nation’s future in a changing international
environment. Hundreds of participating students learn the complexity
of world politics and their role as active, informed citizens in the
political process. Among the timely issues likely to be discussed
are immigration, nuclear weapon proliferation, terrorism, trade and
the global economy, and environmental concerns.
Two one-day workshops help teachers integrate forum curriculum into
their classrooms and prepare for Capitol Forum Day. Each features a
guest speaker or program that focuses on one of the international
issues. The first workshop in early August will focus on
bioterrorism. The second in early February will focus on
environmental concerns. Past speakers have included Maj. Gen.
Richard Newton and Lt. Gen. Robert Kehler, both of U.S. Strategic
Command, Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale, and U.S. Sen. Chuck
Hagel.
Each teacher will select up to four students to participate in the
forum at the State Capitol on March 31, 2008. During the forum,
student representatives will report and deliberate over the
international concerns of their classmates. The day culminates in a
dialogue among students and elected officials. During the recent
2007 forum, 85 students from throughout Nebraska gathered to discuss
global issues among themselves, with state policymakers, Hagel and
U.S. Reps. Jeff Fortenberry and Adrian Smith.
Following the day-long forum, teachers and students lead their
classmates through a two-day lesson plan to complete a Nebraska
Student Ballot on America’s Future. Ballot results are distributed
to participating Nebraska high schools, news media, and state and
federal elected officials.
Teachers who participate in Capitol Forum will receive free
curriculum units and other materials to engage their students in
discussing important global issues. Funding is available for travel
stipends and classroom substitutes.
The Nebraska Humanities Council presents Capitol Forum in
collaboration with the office of Secretary of State John Gale and
the Choices for the 21st Century Project, an outreach of Brown
University’s Watson Institute for International Studies.
The 2007 Capitol Forum was funded in part by Anne Stuart Batchelder,
Merrill Lynch, Duncan Family Trust, Mrs. J. Allan Mactier, A to Z
Printing, the Nebraska Council of School Administrators, state aid
funding appropriated by the Nebraska Legislature, and the “We the
People” initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The
2008 Capitol Forum will be funded in part by the Cooper Foundation.
Capitol Forum conforms to Nebraska social studies standards. To
receive information on the alignment with state standards, or to
apply to the program, write to: Nebraska Humanities Council, 215
Centennial Mall South, Suite 330, Lincoln, NE 68508. A printable
application form is available on this page. For more information,
call Erika Hamilton at (402) 474-2131 ext. 104, fax (402) 474-4852,
or e-mail
erika@nebraskahumanities.org.
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December 2006
Teaching in a changing world
 Invigorating!
That’s how Gene Dorn describes the curriculum for Capitol Forum on
America’s Future, a program he has participated in every year since
the Nebraska Humanities Council began offering it in 1998.
He was drawn to the curriculum because it challenges high school
students to use abstract, higher-level thinking skills while
considering and discussing international issues. “This also
challenges the teacher because one does not always control the
directions things are going,” he said, “but the result is that the
teacher and students all experience a true learning environment
where input is coming from everyone, not just the teacher.”
Created by Brown University’s Watson Institute for International
Studies, Capitol Forum emphasizes the importance of educating
students to be active, informed citizens while engaging them in
deliberation over America’s changing international role and the
implications for domestic policy.
Dorn, who recently retired from teaching, became so captivated by
the Capitol Forum approach that he incorporated it into the core
social studies curriculum at Bellevue West High School. After
experiencing Capitol Forum, Dorn says, teachers and students “never
want to return to the old ways” of teaching and learning.
The council, in collaboration with the office of Secretary of State
John Gale, presents Capitol Forum annually. Each year, high school
social studies teachers bring four of their students to the State
Capitol in Lincoln to discuss with their peers timely foreign policy
issues and possibilities for the nation’s future in a changing
international environment. Issues discussed include terrorism,
nuclear weapons proliferation, immigration trends, environmental
concerns, trade and the global economy.
Dorn maintains that Capitol Forum is the best curriculum for
teaching modern international issues because it is constantly
updated to remain current. “After 9/11 the terrorism unit was
corrected to include that issue in time for the second semester in
January. This is unheard of with typical curriculum.”
The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, had a clear impact on the
students participating in Capitol Forum. In March 2001, the top
international concern for more than 50 percent of the students who
completed a nationwide survey was that damage to the global
environment would become irreparable. A close second was the
proliferation of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons (48.9
percent). In March 2002, concern about the global environment fell
to second (34.2 percent) and concern about weapon proliferation
jumped to first with 51.1 percent. The third top concern in
2002–that more Americans would die at the hands of terrorists (33.3
percent)–was new to the survey.
Sonya Stejskal, a teacher at South High, said that Sept. 11 and the
war in Afghanistan accentuated the impact that world events have on
our lives. “Intellectually, they’ve always known that,” she said of
her students. “But now there’s also an emotional response.”
“We have to promote democracy,” an Omaha student said at the 2002
Forum. “I now realize that doing that puts us at risk.”
Responses by Nebraska students to the 2002 survey showed an
isolationist philosophy. More than 76 percent said that U.S.
resources should be focused on problems at home. Only 54 percent
supported this position the year before. Ranking second (73.1
percent) was the need for international cooperation, which topped
the 2001 list.
Five years later, in the midst of the “war on terror,” Capitol Forum
students are still split in their opinions about whether the guiding
principal should be isolationism or international cooperation.
Choosing from four distinct proposals for the future of U.S. foreign
policy, more than 32 percent of Nebraska students in 2006 identified
as their top choice a future in which the United States would
protect the homeland and sharply scale back foreign involvement.
Students favored this policy even if it might upset the worldwide
balance of power and cause insecure countries to seek nuclear,
biological and chemical weapons.
Complicating this support for isolationism was similar support for
international cooperation. In Nebraska, 69 percent of responding
students supported the statement that “in today’s interconnected
world, many serious problems can be addressed only through
international cooperation.”
Capitol Forum offers students the invaluable opportunity to voice
these and other opinions and to discuss them with their informed
peers. “Students are invited into a learning environment where their
ideas can be heard without being ridiculed,” Dorn said. “Students
are taught to not only express opinions but to develop rationales
based upon extensive research.”
“When I try to get into political discussions with my friends, they
don’t know anything about it,” a student said while attending the
March 2006 Forum. “Here, the people are actually interested.”
One issue that received a lot of attention in 2006 was illegal
immigration and the ongoing debate on how (or whether) to reform
current immigration law. In response to a survey question asking
what foreign policy actions should be taken, Nebraska students
ranked as their first priority in 2006 a crackdown on illegal
immigration and a policy to accept fewer immigrants (60.5 percent).
This rose from second place in 2005 (54.5 percent) and third place
in 2002 (48.5 percent).
In response to their students’ growing concerns, Capitol Forum
teachers met at the Durham Western Heritage Museum in August for a
workshop on teaching and discussing immigration issues. They were
joined by U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel, a constant supporter of Capitol
Forum.
Sen. Hagel began by discussing the Senate immigration bill he helped
craft, which includes a path to citizenship for people who are in
the country illegally, how it differs from the enforcement-centered
bill approved by the House, and the inability of Congress to work
out a compromise. He then opened the floor to questions.
Trent Goldsmith, a teacher from Utica, asked, “What is the fear of
this bill?”
Hagel responded that it is “an irrational fear” and used employment
as an example. People often worry that immigrants are taking jobs
away from Americans although the unemployment rate is low. “The
whole idea about immigrants taking American jobs is not true,” he
said. If millions of workers were deported, “you would bring much of
the economy to its knees.”
Roy Ferris, a teacher from Valentine, asked how he should respond to
students who question why current laws are not enforced. Hagel said
that enforcement relies on both the United States and Mexico to work
to halt illegal border crossings. Part of the problem, he said, is
that Mexico has not done its part. “A lot of this responsibility
rests with the Mexican government, and we really have no control
over it.”
Immigration was of greatest concern in 2006, but elimination of
nuclear weapons fell from first priority among Nebraska students
last year (55 percent) to fourth (44 percent). In 2007, nuclear
proliferation may become the top issue again in response to North
Korea’s October announcement that it exploded a nuclear warhead.
Capitol Forum can adapt to any international hot topic that may
develop, whether it be a terrorist attack, debate on immigration, or
a nuclear explosion. On Oct. 11, the Watson Institute announced a
new online teaching resource called “North Korea and Nuclear
Weapons.” The resource was designed to engage students “in
consideration of a balanced range of views on how the U.S. should
respond to this news.” The “balanced range of views” includes
consequences for the United States and the world, the role of North
Korea’s neighbors, and what role the United States should play. The
material is free and available to all.
What is the impact of Capitol Forum on the lives of the students?
“I have never had a student at Capitol Forum who was not absolutely
thrilled and fired up by the experience,” Dorn said.
“It was an eye-opening experience,” another teacher wrote in
evaluating the 2006 Forum. The students “realized that their
opinions do matter.”
Many students come away from Forum day with new outlooks on voting
habits and choices. Voting seems more important to them, and they
appreciate the role of elected officials. Some say they may run for
public office some day, a notion they had earlier dismissed as
unrealistic.
But what is the long-range impact of the program?
In the summer of 2004, the Nebraska Humanities Council did a follow
up survey of students who had participated in Capitol Forum since
1998 and found that 95.2 percent were registered to vote, 61.9
percent had contacted an elected official by letter, phone call or
e-mail, and 85.7 percent credited Capitol Forum with making them
more politically aware.
“I have had more students from my 21st century class than any others
I taught who have come back to talk about things in the hallway a
year or more later,” Dorn said. “I have had three students that I
know of who are pursuing degrees in international relations because
of what they experienced.”
In preparation for the 10th anniversary of Capitol Forum in 2008,
the Watson Institute is collecting anecdotes from students who
participated in the program during its early years. The hope is to
create a snapshot of how the program has affected career plans,
educational paths, and civic involvement. The council will help with
this project, collecting stories from teachers and former students.
If you want to contribute information, contact Erika Hamilton at
erika@nebraskahumanities.org.
Editor’s note: Several quotes in this story were taken from the
Omaha World-Herald (March 26, 2002, and Aug. 8, 2006) and the
Lincoln Journal Star (March 28, 2006, and Aug. 8, 2006).
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July 2006
Nebraska students split on
U.S. foreign policy
In a recent national survey, Nebraska high
school students were split in their opinions about whether the
guiding principle of U.S. foreign policy should be isolationism
or international cooperation.
More than 400 students in Nebraska completed ballots as part of the
eighth Nebraska Capitol Forum on America’s Future, co-sponsored by
the Nebraska Humanities Council and Secretary of State John Gale’s
office. Students in Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Rhode
Island, Washington, and West Virginia also participated in the 2006
Capitol Forum. Nationwide, 1,643 students submitted ballots
expressing their concerns, priorities and vision for our nation’s
future.
Choosing from four distinct proposals for the future of U.S. foreign
policy, more than 61 percent of Nebraska respondents identified as
their first or second choice a future in which the United States
would protect the homeland and sharply scale back foreign
involvement. Students favored this policy even if it might “upset
the worldwide balance of power and cause insecure countries to seek
nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.” Nationally, this policy
ranked third (50 percent).
Complicating this support for isolationism is similar strong support
for international cooperation. In Nebraska, 69 percent of the
respondents supported the statement that “in today’s interconnected
world, many serious problems can be addressed only through
international cooperation.” Three out of four students in the
national poll identified as their top choice a future in which the
United States would “take the initiative to bring the nations of the
world together and play a leadership role.” This policy ranked
second among Nebraska students (57 percent), up from third place (50
percent) last year.
For the third consecutive year, a future in which the U.S. would
spread democracy around the world was the least popular policy in
both Nebraska and nationally.
When Nebraska students were asked what foreign
policy actions should be taken, they ranked as their first priority
a crack-down on illegal immigration and a policy to accept fewer
immigrants (60.5 percent). This rose from second place last year
(54.5 percent). The elimination of nuclear weapons fell from first
place last year (55 percent) to fourth this year (44 percent).
Nationally, placing trade sanctions on countries that threaten their
neighbors dropped from first last year to fourth this year, although
it rose from fourth to third in Nebraska. The 2006 national poll
ranks negotiating international standards for the environment as
first priority and immigration concerns as second. In Nebraska,
environment standards ranked second this year.
As part of Capitol Forum, 98 students and 20 teachers from high
schools in Lincoln, Omaha, Bellevue, Millard, Ashland, Cambridge,
Chadron, Crofton, Holdrege, Howells, Lynch, Plainview, Potter,
Springfield, Sterling, Sumner, Valentine, Wausa, and Wilcox gathered
on March 27 at the State Capitol to debate the four options for the
future of U.S. foreign policy.
They returned to their schools to broaden the discussion with
classmates and complete the survey. Among the topics discussed were
immigration, terrorism, the environment, international trade, and
proliferation of nuclear weapons.
The Capitol Forum curriculum is provided by Brown University’s
Watson Institute for International Studies. In Nebraska, the 2006
Capitol Forum was funded in part by the “We the People” initiative
of the National Endowment for the Humanities and by the Cooper
Foundation.
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July 2006
Teachers chosen statewide for ninth
Capitol Forum
The Nebraska Humanities Council has selected 25
Nebraska high school teachers from a record number of applicants to
participate in the ninth annual Nebraska Capitol Forum on America’s
Future. Capitol Forum is designed to engage high school social
studies students and teachers in a discussion of our nation’s future
in a changing international environment. The program emphasizes the
education of students in their role as citizens.
Schools and teachers chosen for the 2007 Capitol Forum are: Boone
Central High School in Albion (Dan Zoucha), Ashland-Greenwood High
School (Brian Petermann, Bellevue West High School (Zach Bayse),
Cambridge Public Schools (George Lytle, Chadron High School (Keith
Walton), Crofton High School (William Schroeder), Medicine Valley
High in Curtis (Barry Mraz), Holdrege High School (Chad Bailey),
Howells High School (Scott Polacek), Lincoln North Star High School
(Brian Burback), Lynch High School (Jeff Hart), Madison Senior High
School (Julie Engelmann), North Platte High School (N. Dennis
Fornander), Omaha Benson High School (Tom Curran and Scott Marcum),
Omaha South High School (Sonya Stejskal), Plainview High School
(Roland Johnson), Platteview High School in Springfield (Jon Comine),
Stanton High School (Patric Brechbill), Sterling High School (Arlo
Wusk), Sumner-Eddyville-Miller High School (Dee Thompson), Superior
High School (Dave Barnard), Centennial Public Schools in Utica
(Trent Goldsmith), Valentine High School (Roy Ferris), and Wilcox-Hildreth
Public School (Ken Meyers).
Robin Kratina of Bellevue West High School will participate as lead
teacher with help from Gene Dorn, who retired from Bellevue West in
May. Dorn is the only teacher to have participated in Nebraska’s
Capitol Forum since its inception.
Capitol Forum is designed to engage high school social studies
students and teachers in a discussion of our nation’s future in a
changing international environment. The program emphasizes the
education of students in their role as citizens. Issues to be
discussed in class and during the forum include terrorism, nuclear
proliferation, immigration trends, trade and the global economy, and
environmental concerns.
On Aug. 7, the teachers will gather at Durham Western Heritage
Museum in Omaha for a one-day workshop that will introduce them to
the forum curriculum, new teaching strategies, and results from the
2006 Capitol Forum student ballots. The workshop will include a
guest speaker representing Sen. Chuck Hagel’s office. The speaker
will address immigration issues. Mick Hale, Durham’s director of
education, will introduce the teachers to the museum’s exhibit about
Omaha’s immigration trends.
In February, teachers will meet in Lincoln for a planning day that
will feature another international policy topic and guest speaker.
On March 26, teachers will bring student representatives to the
State Capitol to report on and deliberate over the international
concerns of their classmates, and to discuss these concerns with
elected officials.
The Humanities Council presents Capitol Forum in collaboration with
the office of Secretary of State John Gale and the Choices for the
21st Century Project, an outreach of Brown University’s Watson
Institute for International Studies. Capitol Forum is funded in part
by the Nebraska Council of School Administrators and the “We the
People” initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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March 2006
U.S. lawmakers participate in
Capitol Forum
Two members of Nebraska’s congressional delegation and
Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning have confirmed plans to participate in the
eighth annual Nebraska Capitol Forum on America’s Future on March 27 at the
State Capitol.
U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry and Bruning will attend the day’s
events in person. U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel will participate via video conferencing
from Washington, D.C.
More than 95 high school students and 20 teachers will gather
at the daylong forum to discuss the U.S. role in today’s world. The forum is a
collaboration of the Nebraska Humanities Council and Secretary of State John
Gale. The students and teachers will represent 19 high schools in Lincoln,
Omaha, Bellevue, Millard, Ashland, Cambridge, Chadron, Crofton, Holdrege,
Howells, Lynch, Plainview, Springfield, Sterling, Sumner, Valentine, Wausa, and
Wilcox.
Capitol Forum is a civic education initiative designed to
give high school students a voice in public policy. For six months, students
have studied and deliberated foreign policy issues in the classroom. On March
27, student representatives from each school will engage in discussion among
themselves and with policymakers and other elected officials on such issues as
immigration, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, global economics, and the
environment. They will deliberate on four distinct options for the future of
U.S. foreign policy, culminating in a conversation with members of Nebraska’s
congressional delegation and state officials.
The deliberation begins in the Warner Chamber at 1:40 p.m.
The students’ conversation with Sen. Hagel, Rep. Fortenberry, and Attorney
General Bruning is scheduled for 2:45 p.m.
After the March 27 forum, teachers and students will return
home to share their experiences with classmates, broadening the impact of
Capitol Forum to hundreds of students statewide. These classes will complete a
ballot describing their view of America’s future role in the world. Results of
the ballot will be compiled and distributed to elected officials, Nebraska
schools and news media.
Capitol Forum is a Choices for the 21st Century
Project, an outreach program of Brown University’s Watson Institute for
International Studies.
In Nebraska, Capitol Forum is funded in part by the “We the
People” initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities and by the
Cooper Foundation.
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July 2005
Teachers chosen for eighth
Capitol Forum
The Nebraska Humanities Council has selected 21 Nebraska high
school teachers to participate in the eighth annual Nebraska Capitol Forum on
America’s Future.
Capitol Forum is designed to engage high school social studies students and
teachers in a discussion of our nation’s future in a changing international
environment. The program emphasizes the education of students in their role as
citizens.
Teachers chosen for Capitol Forum 2006 and their schools are: Chad Bailey
(Holdrege High School), Alicia Bragg (Millard West High School), Jon Comine (Platteview
High School), Daria Faden (Potter-Dix High School), Roy Ferris (Valentine High
School), Mary Gould-Traphagan (Crawford High School), Jeff Hart (Lynch High
School), Brad Hoesing (Bancroft-Rosalie Public School), Robert Fulton Holbert
(Lincoln High School), Gary Lundberg (Wausa High School), George Lytle
(Cambridge Public Schools), Scott Marcum (Omaha Benson High School), Ken Meyers
(Wilcox-Hildreth Public School), Patty Novicki (Plainview High School), Brian
Petermann (Ashland-Greenwood High School), Scott Polacek (Howells High School),
Mark Howard Schulze (Omaha North High School), Dee Thompson
(Sumner-Eddyville-Miller High School), Gary Timm (Crofton High School), Keith
Walton (Chadron High School), and Arlo Wusk (Sterling High School).
Gene Dorn and Robin Kratina, both of Bellevue West High School, will participate
as lead teachers.
On August 8, teachers selected for Capitol Forum will gather at Bellevue West
High School for a workshop that will introduce them to the forum curriculum. The
workshop will begin with a welcome by Secretary of State John Gale. In February,
the teachers will gather again in Lincoln for a planning day that will feature
public policy topics and a keynote speaker.
On March 27, student representatives will meet at the State Capitol in Lincoln
to report on and deliberate over the international concerns of their classmates.
Students will discuss foreign policy issues such as immigration, terrorism,
weapon proliferation, trade, and the environment. The day culminates in a
dialogue among students, teachers, and elected officials.
Following the day-long forum, teachers and students will return home to lead
their classmates through a two-day lesson plan and to complete a Nebraska
Student Ballot on America’s Future, which is distributed to participating
Nebraska high schools, news media, and state and federal elected officials.
The Nebraska Humanities Council presents Capitol Forum in collaboration with the
office of Secretary of State John Gale and the Choices for the 21st Century
Project, an outreach of Brown University’s Watson Institute for International
Studies. Capitol Forum is funded in part by the Cooper Foundation, Commercial
Federal Bank, and the “We the People” initiative of the National Endowment for
the Humanities.
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June 2005
Nebraska students want to protect
homeland
Nebraska high school students, in a recent survey,
strongly supported a course in which the United States would sharply scale back
foreign involvement, but they also are greatly concerned about the proliferation
of weapons in other countries.
In a statewide poll, 270 students completed ballots as part of the seventh
Nebraska Capitol Forum on America’s Future, co-sponsored by the Nebraska
Humanities Council and Secretary of State John Gale’s office. Students in
Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Rhode Island, Utah, Washington and West
Virginia also participated in the 2005 Capitol Forum. Nationwide, 2,733 students
submitted ballots expressing their concerns, priorities and vision for our
nation’s future.
Choosing from four distinct proposals for the future of U.S. foreign policy,
more than 61 percent of Nebraska respondents identified as their first or second
choice a future in which their country would protect the homeland and “turn our
attention to the real threats facing Americans: A sagging economy, decaying
schools, a shaky health care system, and inadequate resources to protect against
terrorism.” They favored this isolationist policy even if it might “upset the
worldwide balance of power and cause insecure countries to seek nuclear,
biological and chemical weapons.” That policy future rose in importance among
Nebraskans from third place in 2004. Nationally, it ranked third this year (46
percent).
Among Nebraska students, the protection of U.S. global interests ranked second
(55.9 percent) and building a more cooperative world—the most popular position
last year—ranked third (50 percent). A plan for the U.S. to lead the world to
democracy was the least popular in both Nebraska and nationally.
Nebraska students said they believe that “our resources should be focused on
addressing poverty, crime and budget deficits at home” (74.4 percent supported
or strongly supported this statement, while only 12.2 percent opposed it). That
is close to the results nationally, which indicate 75.5 percent supported that
statement and 11.1 percent opposed it. In both cases, the least popular belief
was that Americans “have a responsibility to spread democracy around the world.”
Nebraskans agreed with their counterparts in other states in choosing weapons
proliferation as their top concern, with 48.9 percent choosing it as one of
their three top concerns out of a list of 13, compared with 50 percent
nationwide. The concern that the United States will drain its resources trying
to solve the problems of other countries ranked second (37.4 percent), and the
fear that the United States will lose access to oil and other key resources
abroad ranked third (26.7 percent), a concern that ranked eighth nationally
(19.4 percent).
The state and national survey results revealed another disparity when students
were asked what foreign-policy actions should be taken. Nebraskans ranked the
elimination of nuclear weapons first (54.9 percent), while it ranked fourth
nationally (48.2 percent). Trade sanctions on countries that threaten their
neighbors ranked first nationally (53.1 percent) but ranked fourth among
Nebraskans (48.6 percent).
As part of Capitol Forum, about 85 students and 20 teachers from high schools in
Lincoln, Omaha, Bellevue, Millard, North Platte, Hastings, Holdrege, Valentine,
Wausa, Wilcox, Pawnee City, Sumner, Potter, Sterling, Plainview, Ashland,
Papillion and Firth gathered March 28 at the State Capitol to debate the four
options for the future of U.S. foreign policy.
They returned to their schools to broaden the discussion with classmates and
complete the survey. Among the topics discussed were immigration, terrorism, the
environment and international trade.
Capitol Forum curriculum is provided by Brown University’s Watson Institute for
International Studies. In Nebraska, Capitol Forum was funded in part by the “We
the People” initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities and by
Commercial Federal Bank.
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March 2005
U.S. Representatives
attend Forum
Several members of Nebraska’s congressional
delegation participated in the seventh annual Nebraska
Capitol Forum on America’s Future on March 28 at the State Capitol.
U.S. Reps. Tom Osborne and
Lee Terry attended the day’s events in person. U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel was
out of the country, but to show his support for Capitol Forum he prepared a
videotaped statement.
About 85 students from high
schools in Lincoln, Omaha, Bellevue, Millard, North Platte, Hastings, Holdrege,
Valentine, Wausa, Wilcox, Pawnee City, Sumner, Potter, Sterling, Plainview,
Ashland, Papillion and Firth gathered at the daylong forum, a collaboration
of the Nebraska Humanities Council and Secretary of State John Gale. Twenty high
school teachers are involved.
Student representatives from
each school engaged in discussion among themselves and with policymakers and
other elected officials on such foreign policy issues as immigration, conflict
resolution, the environment and trade. They debated four distinct options
for the future of U.S. foreign policy, culminating in a conversation with
members of Nebraska’s congressional delegation and state officials.
The debate began in the
Warner Chamber at 1:40 p.m. The conversation with elected officials and
policymakers was at 10:30 a.m. for Rep. Osborne and State Treasurer
Ron Ross and 2:45 p.m. for Rep. Terry and Lt. Gov. Rich Sheehy. NET Television
taped a 3:30 p.m. discussion of the U.S. role in the world.
After the March 28 forum,
teachers and students returned home to share their experiences with
classmates, broadening the impact of Capitol Forum to hundreds of students
statewide. These classes will complete a ballot describing their view of
America’s future role in the world. Results of the ballot will be compiled and
distributed to elected officials, Nebraska schools and news media.
Capitol Forum is a Choices
for the 21st Century Project, an outreach program of Brown University’s Watson
Institute for International Studies.
In Nebraska, Capitol Forum is
funded in part by the “We the People” initiative of the National Endowment for
the Humanities and by Commercial Federal Bank.
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November 2004
Urban, rural students split in vision of U.S. future
In a recent survey of high school students in
Bellevue and Chadron, urban and rural
respondents differed widely in their visions of U.S. foreign policy.
Bellevue West High School students overwhelmingly (79 percent) favored
protecting U.S. global interests, while Chadron High School students chose
protecting the U.S. homeland as the highest priority (43 percent) among four
foreign-policy scenarios for the future. The other two scenarios were to lead
the world to democracy and to build a more cooperative world.
Opinions diverged again when students were asked if “the United States should
support broadening the mandate of the U.N. and other international
organizations, even if this means we are bound by the decisions of this
community of nations and cannot act unilaterally except to defend our homeland.”
Sixty-four percent of Bellevue students opposed the statement, while only 38
percent of Chadron students disagreed with it.
When asked what concerns them most, respondents from the two schools agreed that
their greatest fear was that “nuclear, biological and chemical weapons will
proliferate and end up in the hands of terrorists.” From a list of 13 concerns,
50 percent of Bellevue students chose that answer, while 43 percent of Chadron
students chose it.
They also agreed that “the United States should commit itself to the elimination
of nuclear weapons, even if this means that we will need to rethink our defense
strategy.” At Bellevue, 64 percent of respondents agreed with the statement, and
56 percent of Chadron respondents agreed with it.
The survey was conducted after an Oct. 12 videoconference linking student and
adult participants in Bellevue, Chadron and North Platte. The discussion of the
nation’s future in a changing international environment was moderated by
Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale and sponsored by the Nebraska Humanities
Council. It was funded by a By the People grant from MacNeil/Lehrer
Productions.
Modeled after Capitol Forum on America’s Future, a program of the Watson
Institute for International Studies at Brown University, the videoconference
featured discussion and debate on such issues as immigration, terrorism and
trade. Capitol Forum is an annual, curriculum-based program for high school
teachers and students that examines the role of U.S. foreign policy in the 21st
century. The NHC and the Office of the Secretary of State have co-sponsored
Capitol Forum for seven years.
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November 2004
Teachers chosen statewide for seventh Capitol Forum
The Nebraska Humanities Council has selected 20 Nebraska high school teachers
to participate in the seventh annual Nebraska Capitol Forum on America’s Future,
which is designed to involve high school social studies students and teachers in
a discussion of our nation’s future in a changing international environment.
Emphasizing the education of students in their role as citizens, the initiative
culminates March 28, when student representatives will report on and debate the
international concerns of their classmates at the State Capitol in Lincoln.
Students will discuss such foreign policy issues as immigration, conflict
resolution, the environment and trade. The day concludes with a dialogue among
students, teachers, elected officials and policymakers.
Teachers chosen for Capitol Forum 2005 and their schools are: Tom Allen (Norris
High School), Chad Bailey (Holdrege High School), Daria Faden (Potter-Dix High
School), Roy Ferris (Valentine Rural High School), N. Dennis Fornander (North
Platte High School), H. L. “Jack” Hanger (Fremont High School), Becky Hoch
(Papillion-LaVista High School), Robert Fulton Holbert (Lincoln High School),
Robin Kratina (Bellevue West High School), Annie Loring (Duchesne Academy), Gary
Lundberg (Wausa High School), Scott Marcum (Omaha Benson High School), Ken
Meyers (Wilcox/Hildreth Public School), Angela Nichols (Omaha South High
School), Patty Novicki (Plainview High School), Brian Petermann
(Ashland-Greenwood High School), Bud Pettigrew (Pawnee City High School), Mark
Howard Schulze (Omaha North High School), Dee Thompson (Sumner-Eddyville-Miller
High School), and Arlo Wusk (Sterling High School).
Sonya Stejskal of Millard West High School and Gene Dorn of Bellevue West High
School will participate as lead teachers.
A one-day workshop in August introduced teachers to the Forum curriculum, and a
planning day in February will feature public policy topics. Following the
daylong gathering in March, teachers and students will return home to lead
classmates through a two-day lesson plan and complete a Nebraska Student Ballot
on America’s Future, which is distributed to participating Nebraska high
schools, news media and state and federal elected officials.
The Nebraska Humanities Council presents Capitol Forum in collaboration with the
office of Secretary of State John Gale and the Choices for the 21st Century
Project, an outreach arm of Brown University’s Watson Institute for
International Studies.
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October 2004
Grant funds videoconference on America’s future
The Nebraska Humanities Council (NHC) on Oct. 12 will conduct a
videoconference linking participants in three Nebraska communities in a
discussion of the nation’s future in a changing international environment.
Teachers from Bellevue West High School, North Platte High School and Chadron
High School will select students and adults from their communities to join in
the videoconference, which is funded by a By the People grant from
MacNeil/Lehrer Productions. As many as 90 people will participate.
By the People aims to energize the national conversation on
America's role in the world through a series of national and local broadcasts
and events that demonstrate the relevance of foreign policy issues to local
concerns. The project includes three national PBS specials, two cycles of local
programming to be produced by PBS stations in cooperation with community
organizations, national and local forums for civic dialogue, and an interactive
web site.
By linking participants in urban, mid-sized and small town communities, the
Nebraska videoconference will enhance the level of engagement of everyday
Americans on foreign policy and its local implications.
Participating teachers are Gene Dorn of Bellevue, N. Dennis Fornander of North
Platte, and Craig Nobiling of Chadron. Secretary of State John Gale will
facilitate the discussion.
Modeled after Capitol Forum, a program of the Watson Institute for International
Studies at Brown University, the videoconference will feature discussion and
debate on such issues as immigration, terrorism and trade. Participants will
state and defend their views based on a choice of four future scenarios for U.S.
foreign policy—leading the world to democracy; protecting U.S. global interests;
building a more cooperative world; and protecting the U.S. homeland.
Capitol Forum is a curriculum-based program for high school teachers and
students that examines the role of the United States and its foreign policy in
the 21st century. The NHC and the Office of the Secretary of State have
co-sponsored Capitol Forum for seven years.
top
June
2004
Nebraska
students want a cooperative world
In programming
taking place during the U.S.-led war
in Iraq, Nebraska high school students in a recent survey strongly support
a course in which the United States would lead the way in strengthening
the United Nations’ role in maintaining international security and cooperation,
even if it might limit the ability to use force unilaterally.
In a statewide poll,
174 students completed ballots as part of the sixth Nebraska Capitol Forum
on America’s Future, co-sponsored by the Nebraska Humanities Council and
Secretary of State John Gale’s office. Students in Connecticut, Illinois,
Indiana, Maryland, Rhode Island and Utah also took part in the 2004 Capitol
Forum. Of the 2,800 students who participated in the discussion of U.S.
foreign policy nationwide, 1,584 submitted online ballots expressing their
concerns, priorities and vision for our nation’s future.
Choosing from four
distinct proposals for the future of U.S. foreign policy, more than two-thirds
(67.8 percent) of Nebraska respondents identify as their first or second
choice a future of international cooperation in which the United States
would “take the initiative to bring the nations of the world together.”
That compares with 69.2 percent in the nationwide poll. The protection
of U.S. global interests ranked second (52.9 percent), and the protection
of the U.S. homeland ranked third (44.3 percent). A plan for the U.S. to
lead the world to democracy was the least popular, with just 36.2 percent
ranking it first or second among the four proposals.
By a margin of more
than nine to one of those expressing a view, Nebraska students say they
believe that “many serious problems can be addressed only through international
cooperation” (66.2 percent support or strongly support this statement,
while only 7.1 percent oppose it). Receiving the least support (33.8 percent
for and 37.7 percent against) is the belief that “as Americans, we have
a responsibility to spread democracy around the world.” That contrasts
with the ballot results nationally, which show 27.3 percent supporting
that statement and 50.7 percent opposed to it.
Nebraskans agree
with their counterparts in other states in choosing weapons proliferation
as their top concern, with 48.9 percent choosing it as one of their three
top concerns out of a list of 13, compared with 47.1 percent nationwide.
The concern that the United States will drain its resources trying to solve
the problems of other countries ranked second (32.2 percent), and the fear
that a clash of ideologies and political values will fuel conflict in the
world ranked third (28.2 percent).
State and national
survey results also agree when students are asked what foreign-policy actions
should be taken. Both rank the elimination of nuclear weapons first (49.3
percent of Nebraskans support or strongly support that plan and 50.6 percent
nationally). Only 24.7 percent say the U.S. should use military force to
protect access to oil and other key raw materials, while 45.4 percent oppose
it.
Perhaps the most
striking result in the survey is the high number of “undecided” responses
from the Nebraska students who participated. Those who claim to be undecided
range from 24 percent to 33.8 percent for each question, while “undecideds”
range from 15.6 percent to 29.7 percent on the national ballot.
As part of Capitol
Forum, nearly 100 Nebraska high school students and 21 teachers met March
29 at the State Capitol to debate the four options for the future of U.S.
foreign policy. They returned to their schools to broaden the discussion
with classmates and complete the survey. Among the topics discussed were
immigration, conflict resolution, the environment and international trade.
Students who participated
in the 2004 Capitol Forum attend schools in Bellevue, Chadron, Crawford,
Fremont, Hastings, Holdrege, Lincoln, Millard, North Platte, Omaha, Pawnee
City, Sumner-Eddyville-Miller, Valentine, Wausa, Weeping Water and Wilcox-Hildreth.
Capitol Forum curriculum
is provided by Brown University’s Watson Institute for International Studies.
In Nebraska, this year’s Capitol Forum was funded in part by Milton G.
Waldbaum Family Foundation of Omaha, State Farm Insurance, the Abel Foundation
of Lincoln and Commercial Federal Bank.
top
April
2004
NHC seeks
teachers for 2005 Capitol Forum
Applications must
be in by May 21 for Nebraska high school social studies teachers who want
to participate in the seventh Nebraska Capitol Forum on America’s Future.
Twenty-five teachers
will be selected to participate in the program, which is designed to engage
students in a discussion of our nation’s future in the changing international
environment. Hundreds of participating high school students learn about
the complexity of world politics and their role as citizens in the political
process. Among the timely foreign policy questions likely to be discussed
are terrorism, trade, immigration and the environment.
Teachers will receive
a curriculum guide to engage classes in discussing the issues. Each teacher
will select four students to participate in the forum at the State Capitol
on March 28, 2005. During the recent 2004 forum, students from 18 public
and private schools from every congressional district debated international
issues. They also were able to speak with members of the Nebraska Congressional
delegation and examine their positions on a range of subjects.
A one-day workshop
in August will introduce the teachers to the forum curriculum, and a planning
day in February will feature public policy topics. Student representatives
then will report on the international concerns of their classmates at the
forum in Lincoln. The day will culminate in a dialogue among students,
teachers, elected officials and policymakers.
Following the forum
at the State Capitol, teachers and students will lead their classmates
through a two-day lesson plan to complete a Nebraska Student Ballot on
America’s Future, which will be distributed to participating Nebraska high
schools, news media and state and federal elected officials.
Teachers will receive
two free Choices curriculum units and classroom materials related to the
forum, a report of the student ballot and certificates for student representatives.
Check with the NHC for possible travel stipends and funding for classroom
substitutes. An initiative of Brown University’s Choices for the 21st Century
Project, Capitol Forum conforms to Nebraska social studies standards.
The Nebraska Humanities
Council, in collaboration with the office of Secretary of State John Gale,
sponsors Nebraska Capitol Forum. Support for the 2004 event came from the
Milton G. Waldbaum Family Foundation of Omaha, State Farm Insurance Company,
the Abel Foundation of Lincoln, Commercial Federal Bank and Leo A. Daly.
For an application,
write to Nebraska Humanities Council, 215 Centennial Mall South, Suite
500, Lincoln, NE 68508. For more information, call Raymond Screws at (402)
474-2131 ext. 103, fax (402) 474-4852 or e-mail ray@nebraskahumanities.org.
top
March
2004
Two U.S.
lawmakers participated in Forum
Two members of
Nebraska’s congressional delegation participated in the sixth annual Nebraska
Capitol Forum on America’s Future on March 29 at the State Capitol.
 U.S. Congressman
Lee Terry attend the conference on international issues in Lincoln, while
U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel participated by videoconference from Washington,
D.C. Congressmen Doug Bereuter and Tom Osborne were unable to participate
this year.
About 99 students
from high schools in Lincoln, Omaha,
Bellevue, North Platte, Hastings, Fremont, Chadron, Crawford, Holdrege,
Valentine, Wausa, Wilcox, Pawnee City and Sumner gathered at the daylong
forum, a collaboration of the Nebraska Humanities Council and the office
of Secretary of State John Gale. Twenty-one high school teachers were involved.
Student representatives
from each school engaged in discussion among themselves and with policymakers
and other elected officials on such foreign policy issues as immigration,
conflict resolution, the environment and trade. They debated four distinct
options for the future of U.S. foreign policy, culminating in a conversation
with Nebraska state senators and with members of Nebraska’s congressional
delegation.
The debate began
in the Warner Chamber at 1:40 p.m. The conversation with elected officials
and policymakers was at 2:45 p.m. A discussion of the U.S. role in the
world, beginning at 3:30 p.m., was taped by Nebraska Educational Television.
After the March 29
forum, teachers and students returned home to share their experiences with
classmates, broadening the impact of Capitol Forum to hundreds of students
statewide. These classes will complete a ballot describing their view of
America’s future role in the world. Results of the ballot will be compiled
and distributed by Brown University to elected officials, Nebraska schools
and news media.
Capitol Forum is
a Choices for the 21st Century Project, an outreach program of Brown University’s
Watson Institute for International Studies.
In Nebraska, Capitol
Forum is funded in part by Milton G. Waldbaum Family Foundation of Omaha,
State Farm Insurance, the Abel Foundation of Lincoln and Commercial Federal
Bank.
top
January
2004
Teachers
chosen for
sixth Capitol
Forum
The Nebraska Humanities Council has
selected 21 Nebraska high school teachers to participate in the sixth annual
Nebraska Capitol Forum on America’s Future, which is designed to involve
high school social studies students and teachers in a discussion of our
nation’s future in a changing international environment.
Emphasizing the education of students in
their role as citizens, the initiative culminates March 29, when student
representatives will report on and debate the international concerns of
their classmates at the State Capitol in Lincoln. Students will discuss
such foreign policy issues as immigration, conflict resolution, the environment
and trade. The day concludes with a dialogue among students, teachers,
elected officials and policymakers.
Teachers chosen for Capitol Forum 2004
and their schools are: Chad Bailey (Holdrege High School), Michael Barrett
(Weeping Water High School), Dana Blakely (Millard West High School), Roy
Ferris (Valentine Rural High School), N. Dennis Fornander (North Platte
High School), Dave Haar (Millard West High School), H. L. “Jack” Hanger
(Fremont High School), Robert Fulton Holbert (Lincoln High School), Brooks
Humphreys (Brownell-Talbot), Robert Kerr (Hastings High School), Robin
Kratina (Bellevue West High School and Bellevue East High School), Annie
Loring (Duchesne Academy), Gary Lundberg (Wausa High School), Kimberly
Meyer (Mercy High School), Ken Meyers (Wilcox/Hildreth Public School),
Bud Pettigrew (Pawnee City High School), Dee Thompson (Sumner-Eddyville-Miller
High School), Mary Gould Traphagan (Crawford High School), and Keith Walton
(Chadron High School).
Sonya Stejskal of Millard West High School
and Gene Dorn of Bellevue West High School will participate as lead teachers.
A one-day workshop in August introduced
teachers to the Forum curriculum, and a planning day in February will feature
public policy topics. Following the daylong gathering at the State Capitol,
teachers and students will lead classmates through a two-day lesson plan
to complete a Nebraska Student Ballot on America’s Future, which is distributed
to participating Nebraska high schools, news media and state and federal
elected officials.
The Nebraska Humanities Council presents
Capitol Forum in collaboration with the office of Secretary of State John
Gale and the Choices for the 21st Century Project, an outreach arm of Brown
University’s Watson Institute for International Studies.
In Nebraska, the 2004 Capitol Forum is
funded in part by the Milton G. Waldbaum Family Foundation of Omaha and
the Abel Foundation of Lincoln.
top
July 2003
Nebraska
students seek
a more stable
world
When considering
the future role of U.S. foreign policy, Nebraska high school students in
a recent survey overwhelming support a course that strives for order and
security in a world increasingly at risk amid the proliferation of nuclear,
biological and chemical weapons.
More than 330 students
statewide were polled about their views on U.S. foreign policy as part
of the fifth Nebraska Capitol Forum on America’s Future, co-sponsored by
the Nebraska Humanities Council and Secretary of State John Gale’s office. Students in Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Rhode Island and Utah also
took part in the 2003 Capitol Forum, with curriculum provided by Brown
University’s Watson Institute for International Studies.
Choosing from four
distinct proposals for the future of U.S. foreign policy, 42.9 percent
of Nebraska respondents said the United States should chart a stable course
with policies that serve our trade and security needs, up from 35.4 percent
in the same survey a year ago. A distant second (26 percent) is the belief
that the United States should promote an international standard for democracy
and human rights, using economic sanctions when needed. A plan to build
a more cooperative world through the United Nations slipped from second
last year (28.6 percent) to third this year (23.1 percent). The isolationist
option was the least popular, with 8 percent support compared with 12.5
percent in 2002.
More than half (52.4
percent) of those polled said weapons proliferation is one of their three
top concerns out of a list of 14, compared with 51.3 percent last year.
The concern that the United States will drain its resources trying to solve
the problems of other countries again ranked second (38.8 percent), and
the fear that a clash of ideologies and political values will fuel conflict
in the world ranked third (33.7 percent), up from eighth last year (20.6
percent). There is less concern that more Americans will die at the hands
of terrorists: 33.1 percent last year and 24.9 percent this year.
Asked what foreign-policy
actions should be taken, 61.5 percent support U.S.-led international military
missions to stop human rights violations, even if it involved U.S. troops
in protracted conflicts. Only 50.4 percent supported that position in 2002.
Students completed the survey during the war in Iraq.
As part of Capitol
Forum, 65 Nebraska high school students met March 24 at the State Capitol
to debate the four options for the future of U.S. foreign policy. They
returned to their schools to broaden the discussion with classmates and
complete the survey. Among the topics discussed were immigration, conflict
resolution, the environment and trade.
Participating schools
included Ashland-Greenwood High School in Ashland, Bellevue West High School,
Benson High School in Omaha, Brownell-Talbot High School in Omaha, Burke
High School in Omaha, Chadron High School, Duchesne Academy in Omaha, Holdrege
High School, Lexington High School, Millard West High School in Omaha,
Wausa High School and Wilcox High School.
top
March 2003
Fifth Capitol
Forum convened March 24
Dozens of Nebraska high school students
statewide attended the fifth annual Nebraska Capitol Forum on America’s
Future on March 24 at the State Capitol.
The Nebraska Humanities Council presented
the daylong forum in collaboration with the office of Secretary of State
John Gale.
Fourteen Nebraska high school teachers
participated in the project, an initiative of Brown University’s Choices
for the 21st Century Education Program. Several student representatives
from each school engaged in discussion among themselves and with policymakers
and other elected officials on such international issues as immigration,
conflict resolution, the environment and trade.
In the course of discussion, students debated
four distinct options for the future of U.S. foreign policy, culminating
in a conversation with Nebraska state senators and with members of Nebraska’s
congressional delegation. U.S. Senators Chuck Hagel and Ben Nelson and
U.S. Congressmen Doug Bereuter and Lee Terry participated, either in person
or by teleconference.
Beginning at 9:15 a.m., students gathered
in separate meeting rooms to consider each of the four themes. At about
10:40 a.m., they began to examine four distinct visions for the future
of U.S. foreign policy. All teachers and students gathered in the Warner
Chamber to begin debating those four futures at 1:40 p.m. The conversation
with elected officials and policymakers was scheduled for 2:45 p.m.
Participating teachers are Dave Haar, Millard
West High School; Ken Meyers, Wilcox Public School; Gary Lundberg, Wausa
High School; Chad Bailey, Holdrege High School; Brooks Humphreys, Brownell-Talbot
(Omaha);Hugh Stoddard, Ashland-Greenwood High School; Scott Marcum, Omaha
Benson High School; Dee Thompson, Lexington High School; Annie Loring,
Duchesne Academy (Omaha); Terri Anania, Duchesne Academy (Omaha); Harris
Payne, Omaha Burke High School; and Keith Walton, Chadron High School.
Sonya Stejskal of Millard West High School
and Gene Dorn of Bellevue West High School participated as lead teachers
and moderators.
After the March 24 forum, teachers and
students returned home to share their experiences with classmates, broadening
the impact of Capitol Forum to hundreds of students statewide. These classes
completed a ballot describing their view of America’s future role in the
world.
Results of the ballot were compiled and
distributed by Brown University to elected officials, Nebraska schools
and news media.
Funding from Commercial Federal Bank helped
to print materials for Capitol Forum.
top
2002 Capitol Forum Survey
Capitol Forum
students fear biological weapons
In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks, the proliferation of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons
topped the list of concerns in a recent survey of Nebraska high school
students.
More than 350 students statewide were polled
about their views on U.S. foreign policy as part of the fourth Nebraska
Capitol Forum on America’s Future, co-sponsored by the Nebraska Humanities
Council and Secretary of State John Gale’s office. Students in Connecticut,
Illinois, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Utah also took part in the 2002
Capitol Forum, with curriculum provided by Brown University’s Watson Institute
for International Studies.
More than half (51.3 percent) of those
polled ranked weapons proliferation as one of their three top concerns
out of a list of 14. That compares with 46.3 percent last year. The concern
that the United States will drain its resources trying to solve the problems
of other countries ranked second, and the fear that more Americans will
die at the hands of terrorists — added to the list this year — ranked third.
The concern that damage to the global environment will become irreparable
slipped from second last year (41.5 percent) to fourth this year (25.9
percent).
Some responses indicate a more isolationist
philosophy in 2002. Asked what beliefs drive their thinking, more than
76 percent of respondents said U.S. resources should be focused on problems
at home, including poverty, crime and budget deficits, a position that
just 54 percent of the respondents supported last year. Ranking second
(73.1 percent) was the need for international cooperation, which topped
the list in 2001.
Choosing from four distinct proposals for
the future of U.S. foreign policy, 35.4 percent of Nebraska respondents
said the United States, in a world that has grown dangerously unstable,
should strive for order and security with policies that serve our trade
and security needs. A distant second (28.6 percent) is the belief that
the United States should build a more cooperative world by increasing support
of the United Nations and leading efforts for common solutions.
As part of Capitol Forum, about 50 Nebraska
high school students met March 25 at the State Capitol to debate the four
options for the future of U.S. foreign policy. They then returned to their
schools to broaden the discussion with classmates and complete the survey.
Among the topics discussed were immigration, conflict resolution, the environment
and trade.
Participating schools included Ashland-Greenwood
High School in Ashland, Bellevue West High School, Chadron High School,
Benson High School, Duchesne Academy in Omaha, Holdrege High School, Lincoln
Northeast High School, Millard West High School, Valentine Rural High School,
Wausa High School and Wilcox High School.
Complete national survey results are available
at www.choices.edu/cf02ballot.html.
For Nebraska ballot results go to www.choices.edu/ne02.pdf.
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2002
Capitol Forum
Fourth Capitol
Forum debates foreign policy
Students and teachers
from 10 high schools across the state gathered March 25 at the State Capitol
in Lincoln to debate the future of U.S. foreign policy during the Fourth
Nebraska Capitol Forum.
About 50 high school
students from as far away as Chadron and Valentine participated in the
daylong event, which featured discussions and student presentations on
current and future foreign policy in an increasingly complicated world.
Participating schools
included Ashland-Greenwood High School in Ashland, Bellevue West High School,
Chadron High School, Benson High School, Duchesne Academy in Omaha, Holdrege
High School, Millard West High School, Valentine Rural High School, Wausa
High School and Wilcox High School.
Students had the
opportunity to talk with U.S. Sens. Chuck Hagel and Ben Nelson and Rep.
Lee Terry and met with several state senators in person. Nelson attended
the forum at the Capitol, while Hagel and Terry joined the discussion via
live videoconference from Omaha.
During the exchange,
the Washington lawmakers fielded questions dealing with a range of hot
topics, from the environment, international trade and aid to developing
countries to bilingualism and the current war on terrorism.
All three legislators
commended the students for their thoughtful and insightful questions.
Gov. Mike Johanns,
Secretary of State John Gale and NHC Executive Director Jane Hood addressed
the students during the morning introductory session.
The forum is the
culmination of a yearlong study of America’s future role in the world,
with a focus on international trade and conflict resolution, immigration
and global environmental issues. Participating teachers guide students
through curriculum that weighs the pros and cons of various domestic and
foreign policies.
All schools that
participated in the forum, including one school that was unable to attend
the State Capitol event, will complete a ballot on America’s future as
part of a nationwide report. Other states participating in the forum are
Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Utah. The national
report will be sent to participating schools, state senators, congressional
representatives and other state elected officials. Some 600 Nebraska students
completed the ballot after last year’s forum.
The Nebraska Humanities
Council co-sponsored the Nebraska Capitol Forum in conjunction with the
Office of Secretary of State John Gale. Capitol Forum is an initiative
of Brown University’s Choices for the 21st Century Project.
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