What is a Welcome Event? A Welcome Event is a casual in-person gathering designed to introduce newer City Club members to the organization. It’s an opportunity to meet fellow members, connect with committees and leadership, and learn more about our ongoing projects.
Over 30 City Club members attended our December Welcome Event, where City Club’s past president Jim Westwood and member Steve Griffith facilitated a discussion on youth civic engagement in Oregon. They focused on the role of high school Constitution Teams in fostering civic awareness, responsibility, and engagement through an in-depth study of Constitutional issues. Jim and Steve, who coach the record-holding national champion teams at Grant and Lincoln High Schools, described how students’ thorough study of the U.S. Constitution, opposing interpretations of legal issues, and the cooperation required to be a winning team prepares them for a lifetime of civic engagement.
A growing number of high schools in Portland and across Oregon now have Constitution Teams. This national program, known as the “We the People” competition, is administered by The Center for Civic Education and, in Oregon, by the Civics Learning Project. It emphasizes the importance of civics education by fostering skills for nonpartisan dialogue and cooperation while striving for team excellence in competitions. Constitution Teams reflect City Club’s mission “to inform our members and the community in public matters and to arouse in them a realization of the obligations of citizenship.”
Helping young people understand government and encouraging them to get involved in civic life is an important first step to fostering a civically engaged society. One way Oregon is working toward this goal is by requiring all high school students, starting with the Class of 2026, to complete a Civics course to graduate. Steve and Jim believe the future of civic engagement in Oregon is strong, thanks to the growing number of Constitution Team graduates statewide, and the state’s new Civics education requirement.
To learn more about Constitution Teams and Jim Westwood and Steve Griffith’s contributions to civics education, explore the links throughout this post.
Join the Conversation
If you’re interested in meeting others who care about making Portland a better place, becoming a City Club member is a great way to find them. Our members come from diverse personal backgrounds and hold a wide range of perspectives, but they share a common goal: to advance evidence-based and community-informed solutions to our city’s toughest problems, while making meaningful connections with people they sometimes disagree with.
Ready to find your people and make a difference? Learn more about membership here.