Katie Boland

Katie Boland has watched some of her quietest students find their voices in a moot court. At Trumbull High School, every senior in her AP U.S. Government classes takes part in the simulated court as a final project, arguing cases before alumni and fellow students serving as judges.

“I always think that government’s meant to be active,” Boland says. In a National Security Council simulation, students research their roles, advise her as president, and respond when she introduces a new crisis. They have to put what they’ve learned to use, even when the scenario changes.

Boland also teaches American Indian history and archaeology. Class discussions often return to the balance between government power and individual liberty. She asks students to question the information they encounter and listen to understand classmates’ reasoning before preparing a rebuttal.

Her students keep in touch long after graduation. They return to help coach and judge current students, report back after voting for the first time, and send Constitution Day photos of their pocket Constitutions from college campuses and workplaces. One recent photo came from a former student’s own social studies classroom.