Amador Valley finishes second in nation at We the People finals

Amador Valley High School is celebrating another strong performance at the We the People civics competition national finals in Washington, D.C.

The highly decorated Dons team placed second nationwide for 2019 last weekend after sweeping the state championship in February. The Foothill High School team, which finished second at state, also qualified for nationals but was eliminated in an earlier round in D.C.

“This team did such a terrific job in an incredibly competitive year,” Amador coach Stacey Sklar said. “I am very proud of their hard work.”

Amador interim principal Nimarta Grewal echoed Sklar’s remarks. “The entire Amador community is extremely proud of our students,” Grewal said. “This team worked very hard and the results demonstrate that effort.”

We the People is a competitive civics program that tests students knowledge and understanding of the Constitution and American government in mock congressional hearings. The competitions bolster critical thinking and a number of other academic skills.

This was the second year in a row that the Amador and Foothill teams both represented California at the national level, with both earning top-four finishes in the 2018 competition. Amador has made it to nationals 17 times over the years and placed 14 times among the top-10 teams, including winning the national title in 1995.

Superintendent David Haglund also congratulated both teams for a “monumental finish” to the competition in 2019. “Our vision for PUSD is that each student will be a resourceful, resilient, responsible and engaged world citizen,” Haglund said. “Each of these young people exemplifies that ideal, as they continue to inspire and exceed our expectations.”