GOV. BUSH SIGNS STUDENT-INSPIRED LEGISLATION AT HIALEAH MIDDLE SCHOOL


June 6, 2003

Gov. Jeb Bush signed legislation establishing drug-free zones near parks this morning at Hialeah Middle School. The legislation was initially proposed by seventh-grade civics students at the school.

House Bill 0057 and Senate Bill 1588 amend Section 893.13., F.S. and establish drug-free zones near parks. Students at the school proposed the law as part of a civic education program titled, "We the People..." Project Citizen, which focuses on the role of state and local government in the United States. The program is administered nationally by the Center for Civic Education and at the district level by the Division of Social Sciences. The House and Senate Bills had a number of co-sponsors including Senator Frederica Wilson and Representative Rene Garcia.

"We the People..." Project Citizen teaches students to become active citizens by guiding them through a five-step decision-making process that helps them identify and evaluate problems in their community and then propose action plans to address them. Each participating class displays its work on a portfolio/display board. The portfolios are sent to Tallahassee for a state competition, with the winning portfolio representing Florida at the national competition. The program is in more than 20 district schools. The 1996, 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2003 state winners have been from Miami-Dade County public schools.

For more information, contact John R. Doyle, Administrative Director, Division of Social Sciences, at 305-995-1982.

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03-MV/195/JJS

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