Fishers schools sweep “We the People” state championships

The teams from Fishers High School (top) and Fishers Junior High School (above) each won their respective “We the People” state championships. (Photos provided by Indiana Bar Foundation)

Two schools in Fishers have received top honors at the Indiana Bar Foundation’s “We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution” 2022 state competition.

Fishers High School and Fishers Junior High School were both named state champions.

Hamilton Southeastern with teacher Janet Chandler finished second in the high school division. Fall Creek Junior High School finished second in the middle school division.

Fishers High School will represent Indiana in the “We the People” nationals this coming spring.

The Honorable Derek R. Molter, Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, delivered the Keynote Address at the high school competition, while the Honorable Indiana Supreme Court Justice Geoffrey Slaughter gave the keynote address at the middle school competition.

During a break in the competition, a Naturalization Ceremony was held in the Grand Hall of Union Station. Eighty individuals became U.S. citizens during the ceremony administered by the Honorable James R. Sweeney II, United State District Judge for the Southern District of Indiana, and Indiana Bar Foundation Board Member.

“We have built a culture where the students lead themselves down their own path,” said We the People teacher Liz Paternoster. “It’s student-led inquiry combined with great support from the unit advisers, school leadership, parents, and the community.”

The Indiana Bar Foundation is grateful to the more than 100 volunteer judges, facilitators, and others making the state final a success.