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Tag: Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

  • Sandra Day O’Connor Institute Announces Youth Civics Programs

    Sandra Day O’Connor Institute Announces Youth Civics Programs

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    PHOENIX, January 23, 2024 (Newswire.com)
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    The Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy has announced two youth programs are now open for 2024 applications. The national online Civics Challenge for grades 6 through 12 and Camp O’Connor, a free, merit-based, week-long summer program in Phoenix, Arizona, providing civics education and leadership development for students.

    Civics Challenge is an online civics competition for grades 6 through 12. Participants are challenged to choose one civics topic and express their knowledge through various art forms. Categories include an essay, short video, song, or mixed media art, such as a poster, painting or sculpture submitted via a photograph of their artwork. 

    Civics Challenge features six topics from which to choose, including the Legislative Branch, Executive Branch, Judicial Branch, Citizenship: Rights & Responsibilities, Checks & Balances, and Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Finalists in middle school (6-8) and high school (9-12) will be awarded prizes of $1,000 for first-place winners followed by $500 and $250 for second and third place, respectively. Entries may be submitted through March 29, 2024.

    Camp O’Connor USA will be held June 10-14, 2024, in Phoenix, Arizona, at the Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, home of the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy. 

    “Camp O’Connor USA aims to educate, inspire and encourage the next generation of leaders to develop a deeper understanding of and appreciation for our democracy and their important role as citizens,” stated Benjamin Maynard, Director of Civics Education for the Institute. “Since its creation by O’Connor Institute founder Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, hundreds of middle school students have benefited from this unique civics camp.”

    More information and applications are available online at www.CampOConnor.org. Camp applications are due by Friday, March 29, 2024, and selected applicants will be notified by Friday, April 26, 2024. Camp O’Connor USA has been made possible by generous grants from individuals and organizations, including The Kemper & Ethel Marley Foundation, Arizona Public Service, and the Arizona Republic Season for Sharing.

    For more information on either program, visit www.OConnorInstitute.org or email info@OConnorInstitute.org. 

    About the O’Connor Institute

    Founded by retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the O’Connor Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3), continues her distinguished legacy and lifetime work to advance American democracy through multigenerational civics education, civic engagement and civil discourse.

    Source: Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy

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  • Sandra Day O’Connor Institute Releases ‘Citizens Guide to Presidential Primaries’ and More Free, Online Civics Micro-Lessons for Adults

    Sandra Day O’Connor Institute Releases ‘Citizens Guide to Presidential Primaries’ and More Free, Online Civics Micro-Lessons for Adults

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    New civics resources fill the civics knowledge gap for countless American adults who never had civics in school


    PHOENIX, January 10, 2024 (Newswire.com)
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    The Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy today announced the debut of the Citizens Guide to Presidential Primaries: a new, free, online resource to answer questions about and help Americans navigate the presidential primaries. The Institute also released the Elections and How They Work micro-lessons for Civics 101, which is a civics course geared toward adult learners, countless numbers of whom never received civics education when they were in school.  

    “There’s some confusion surrounding how presidential primaries operate in the United States because 50 states each have their own rules, so there isn’t a single, consistent system,” said Institute Director of Civics Education Benjamin Maynard. “The Citizens Guide to Presidential Primaries aims to simplify things and give citizens the essential facts through a single resource that will help them understand how primaries function. For example, it offers the date for each state’s primary and breaks down the distinctions between open and closed primaries, as well as bound and unbound electors.”

    The Institute’s Civics 101 course continues to roll out in phases. The first series, the Foundations of American Democracy, debuted in November 2023. The new series, Elections and How They Work, covers topics such as the rights and responsibilities of voting, evaluating political candidates, and how to fact-check claims. Each course micro-lesson can be completed in less than 10 minutes, which is ideal for adults with busy schedules who want to learn when they have free time, and at their own pace.

    “We heard over and over from adults, some of whose children were learning civics in school, that they wanted the opportunity to enhance their own civics knowledge,” said Maynard. “The O’Connor Institute created the Citizens Guide to Presidential Primaries and Civics 101 to fill that unmet need.”

    “Adults have long deserved free resources like the Citizens Guide to Presidential Primaries and Civics 101,” said Matt Feeney, chair of the O’Connor Institute’s Board of Directors. “This civics material is rich and serious and important, but it’s also accessible and presented in an engaging manner.”

    “Justice Sandra Day O’Connor long said that when it comes to civics education, American society cannot be complacent,” said Institute President & CEO Sarah Suggs. “The Citizens Guide to Presidential Primaries and Civics 101 are ways for adults to support their desire to learn more about civics and for all of us to be our best citizens.”

    The Citizens Guide to Presidential Primaries and Civics 101 is available at www.CivicsforLife.org.

    About the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy

    Founded in 2009 by retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the O’Connor Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3), continues her distinguished legacy and lifetime work to advance American democracy through multigenerational civil discourse, civic engagement and civics education. www.OConnorInstitute.org

    Source: Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy

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  • Sandra Day O’Connor Institute Mourns Passing of Founder

    Sandra Day O’Connor Institute Mourns Passing of Founder

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    PHOENIX, December 1, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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    The namesake organization founded by the first woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court is mourning the loss of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

    “No words can describe the profound loss of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. The organization she founded remains resolute and will redouble our efforts to continue her lifetime work and extraordinary legacy,” said Gay Firestone Wray, Board of Directors Co-Chair.

    The Institute will carry on its mission to further the distinguished legacy and lifetime work of Justice O’Connor to advance American democracy through civil discourse, civic engagement, and civics education.

    “From our organization’s founding in 2009 following her retirement from the Supreme Court, Justice O’Connor led our organization with vision and intellect, and she exemplified our nation’s ideals,” said Sarah Suggs, President and CEO. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to continue her work and dedication to our great nation.”

    Sandra Day was born on March 26, 1930, in El Paso, Texas. She spent much of her younger years on her family’s 160,000-acre Lazy B ranch on the Arizona-New Mexico border. At 16 she went to Stanford University for college, graduating magna cum laude with a degree in economics. She stayed for law school. Day graduated and, six months later, married John O’Connor, the love of her life. They eventually moved to Phoenix, where Sandra Day O’Connor began her rapid professional rise, which included holding positions as assistant attorney general of Arizona, majority leader of the Arizona State Senate, and judge on the Arizona Court of Appeals. She also found time to raise three sons—Scott, Brian, and Jay—and make every recipe in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

    On August 19, 1981, President Ronald Reagan nominated Sandra Day O’Connor to the Supreme Court; on September 21 she was confirmed by the U.S. Senate with a vote of 99-0.  

    Her career on the Court was historic. Justice O’Connor will be remembered not only for being the first female on the Court, or for her clear-eyed judicial reasoning and writings and major decisions, but also for her insistence on civility, her penchant for bringing people together to solve problems, whether in Washington, D.C. or over tacos and beer in her Arizona dining room.

    “She overcame obstacles with quiet skill and determination and, in the process, inspired and continues to inspire countless others,” said Institute Board of Directors Co-Chair Matt Feeney.

    We will miss you, Justice O’Connor.  

    About the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy
    Founded in 2009 by retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the O’Connor Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3), continues her distinguished legacy and lifetime work to advance American democracy through multigenerational civil discourse, civic engagement and civics education. Visit www.OConnorInstitute.org for more information.

    Source: Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy

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