We the People: Project Citizen is a curricular program for middle school students that promotes competent and responsible participation in local and state government. The program helps participants learn how to monitor and influence public policy. In the process, they develop support for democratic values and principles, tolerance, and feelings of political efficacy.

An entire class of students work in four cooperative teams.
Project Citizen is a five step process that relies on effort and teamwork. Each class works cooperatively to identify a public policy problem in their community. They then research the problem, evaluate alternative solutions, develop their own solution in the form of a public policy, and create a political action plan to enlist local or state authorities to adopt their proposed policy. Participants develop a portfolio of their work and present their project in a public hearing showcase before a panel of civic-minded community members

In addition, students learn how to critically examine political cartoons, evaluate sources, and other research tools and skills necessary as they advance through school.