Tri-County Teacher Heading to Supreme Court for Summer

Brenna Ferrick, a teacher at Tri-County Regional Vocational High School, will travel to Washington, D.C. this June to attend the prestigious Supreme Court Summer Institute. After a highly competitive application process, 60 teachers were selected to participate this year. The Institute, which is in its 31st year, is open to teachers in the fields of law-related and civic education, is co-sponsored by Street Law, Inc. and the Supreme Court Historical Society. Ferrick is an attorney and has been teaching in the Legal and Protective Services career program at Tri-County for nine years. She was a prosecutor prior to teaching.

The Institute offers teachers the opportunity to study recent Supreme Court cases in detail and learn innovative teaching methods for conveying this information to students. Well-known Supreme Court advocates, reporters, scholars, and educators will be among the speakers and instructors for the Institute. An evaluation of the Supreme Court Summer Institute found that, after the program, teachers who attended (1) felt much more confident discussing controversial issues and Supreme Court cases in their classrooms, (2) discussed Supreme Court cases and used interactive teaching strategies more frequently, and (3) gained critical knowledge about the U.S. Supreme Court.

Upon returning home, teachers will be available to present workshops on teaching about the U.S. Supreme Court, and to meet with media to discuss how the new skills and information will apply in their classrooms.

Street Law, Inc. creates classroom and community programs that teach people about law, democracy, and human rights. Their engaging, practical lessons help people develop skills to improve their lives and strengthen their communities.