South Callaway seventh graders dream up their vision for America

Middle school students present self-developed political parties

South Callaway Middle School seventh grade student Aubrey Atkins describes the Prosperity Party - a political party created by her and her classmates for a social studies project. Seventh grade curriculum focuses on American government, and to help students better understand politics, they were tasked with creating their own parties. Each group of three or four students presented its party platform consisting of five major issues. The assignment was a part of South Callaway's project-based learning program, which gives students more hands-on educational opportunities.
South Callaway Middle School seventh grade student Aubrey Atkins describes the Prosperity Party - a political party created by her and her classmates for a social studies project. Seventh grade curriculum focuses on American government, and to help students better understand politics, they were tasked with creating their own parties. Each group of three or four students presented its party platform consisting of five major issues. The assignment was a part of South Callaway's project-based learning program, which gives students more hands-on educational opportunities.

Gun control. Abortion. Taxes. Same-sex marriage. Health care.

Seventh grade students in the South Callaway R-II School District tackled those national topics and more for the past month as they developed their own political parties for a project-based learning presentation.

Though they are seemingly too young to have experienced these issues, the preteens gave their thoughts to teachers, fellow students and parents during a public convention on Thursday. Some shared personal stories that formed their opinions - like Courtney.

For a time, Courtney's family did not have health care and was forced to pay expensive medical bills. Courtney said she believes every American deserves health care "no matter what," and she felt strongly enough to say it's a right for humans. Her project collaborators nodded in agreement.

"... If you don't have health care then you may not be able to get all the medical attention you may need, and people can suffer from not having medical care by not going to the doctors and not having the medical they need at that time," she said.

The project-based learning (PBL) assignment was a way for the seventh graders to put their knowledge of government from the first semester to use, said South Callaway Middle School social studies teacher Chad Hecktor. Getting his students interested in government was a challenge, Hecktor said, but the task was an opportunity for them to express themselves - and think for themselves.

"Often times, adults dictate ideas to children," Hecktor said.

Daniel Hartman, a 2002 South Callaway High School graduate and Columbia-based attorney, observed all 17 political party presentations Thursday and also observed independent thought from the youth.

"So often, you as a young person develop your opinions at this age from your parents, but they do seem to have opinions that they developed on their own and their teachers have certainly well educated them - given them knowledge to form these opinions," Hartman said.

He was one of three judges listening to presentations and asking questions of the students, forcing them to ponder what may or may not work for America. Retired 13th Circuit Court Judge Bob Sterner and South Callaway's Director of Curriculum Mary Van Orden also judged the projects. Each voted for their top five favorites.

Each group of three or four formed their party's platform based on five issues. Hecktor said education seemed to be the most popular, but the topics didn't start as mature as they concluded. One group, at first, wanted "no homework" as a platform. That's not going to draw voters to the polls, Hecktor said he told the students.

"We had to dig a little deeper and realize (the topics) would need to be something voters are attracted to," he said.

Seventh graders didn't shy away from controversial issues. The National Unity Party had specific ideas for gun control. People with criminal records involving gun violence would not be permitted to own guns. A person wishing to carry a firearm must pass a mental health examination, then he or she would be permitted to carry a gun, but not in public. After obtaining a license, a gun owner may carry a firearm in public, but it can only be a hand gun. Anyone can possess a firearm at home for self defense purposes.

Erica Bunting, member of the National Unity Party, said while she believes in a person's right to bear arms, she also thinks stricter gun laws need to be enforced. Before moving to the South Callaway district, Bunting lived in larger cities where gun violence was a regular occurrence.

"Where I used to live, you would hear gun shots at twelve o'clock at night," Bunting said. "It was really scary. So, it's just an issue that I have."

The Prosperity Party, formed by Aubrey Atkins, Kyleigh Stuperich and Roy Travis, had the slogan: Let's write our own future. Its mission statements reads: "We will do this by encouraging growth in the minds of the people" - a similar notion to the purpose of the PBL.

"I was thinking to myself: What do I want this to be like? What do I want America to be like in the future?" Atkins said.