MOCK TRIAL — CREATING PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS CRF’s Mock Trial program helps students at Hollenbeck Middle School gain skills in teamwork, public speaking, and debate. Students have a are opportunity to work closely with a dedicated teacher-coach and attorney volunteers. The experience inspires these students to set high but attainable educational and career goals. Hollenbeck Middle School is located in a working-class community located just east of Downtown Los Angeles. Almost all of the students qualify for the federal free and reduced-price meal program, and few parents have college degrees. Before Mock Trial, most of the students had never met an attorney or set foot inside a courtroom. Now, students have worked with lawyers and judges who serve as positive role models, and they have presented a case in a real courtroom. For many, the experience begins a dream of a professional career. Initially, the Mock Trial program at Hollenbeck Middle School struggled to find students to join the team. Five years later, the team is thriving and active with students eager to learn about the American legal system. This remarkable team has claimed several Outstanding Student Attorney awards and taken first place in the Journalism Competition. This year, with stiff competition from 40 other middle schools, Hollenbeck advanced to the Championship Trial. Although Hollenbeck did not walk away with the championship title, the confidence, skills, and success these students gained will serve them well throughout high school, college, and career. Junior, a student from the team shares how transformational Mock Trial has been for him. “When I first began this experience,” he says, “I didnt know anything about conducting a trial. I didnt know anything about direct, cross, opening, closing, or objections. Thanks to my attorney-coach, I have become very knowledgeable about trials. My attorney-coach has personally helped me become an outstanding scholar.” Please make your year-end donation today to ensure that motivated students like Junior can continue to access the life-changing benefits of participating in CRF’s Mock Trial program. Just as students at Hollenbeck depend on dedicated attorney volunteers and their teacher-coach to facilitate their Mock Trial experience, CRF depends on your donation in order to keep providing this transformative program. DONATE: crf-usa.org/mock-trial-creating-pathways-to-success
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 04:15:57 +0000
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