Middle Schoolers visit Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate

Waynflete eighth graders recently traveled to the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate in Boston, home to the nation’s only full-scale replica of the U.S. Senate Chamber. Students participated in the Institute’s award-winning Senate Immersion Module, an interactive program that places them directly inside the legislative process. Rather than learning about civics at a distance, students experienced how lawmaking works by taking on the responsibilities of elected officials.

Students were sworn in as U.S. Senators, assigned a state and political party, and guided step by step through the process of how a bill becomes law. They worked in subcommittees, debated policy issues, negotiated with senators from other parties, and took part in committee hearings and floor action in the replica chamber. Throughout the day, the program emphasized skills essential to a healthy civic life: civil dialogue, negotiating differences, and identifying shared interests in the pursuit of workable solutions.