Discovering Justice is excited to announce two updates to its Board of Trustees: Sarah Frazier (left) of WilmerHale is our new Vice Chair of the Board, and Louis Lobel of Goodwin (right) is our new Board Treasurer.
We’re grateful for Sarah and Louis’s years of support as members of Discovering Justice’s Board, and we’re excited to deepen our work with them in their new roles. Thank you, Sarah and Louis!
Emily DallâOrso believes in the power of object- and place-based learning to engage students of all ages in American history, civics, democracy, and the work towards a more equitable society. Emily is currently completing her MSEd in Learning and Engagement in Museums and Cultural Organizations at Bank Street College of Education.
Since joining in February as Courthouse Programs Manager, Emily oversees Discovering Justice’s innovative Field Trip Program, including leading field trips herself, and works with the Moakley Courthouse to implement speaker events for the public.
In March, Kiley Hartman was brought on to lead our growing Mock Trial and Mock Appeal Programs.
A former Mock Trial participant herself, Kiley believes that Mock Trial is an excellent tool to foster student confidence and autonomy. Before joining Discovering Justice, she worked as a middle school teacher at Brooke Charter School Mattapan. Kiley is passionate about providing students with the knowledge necessary to navigate an increasingly complex justice system.
Hanna believes that all young people deserve equal access to a comprehensive civic education curriculum and the space to act as engaged community members. She is eager to facilitate student-facing civic programming with Discovering Justice. Hanna graduated from Tufts University in 2023. As Program Fellow, Hanna works with Mock Appeal Program Manager Kiley Hartman to manage the 29 Mock Appeal teams and their final events in May and June. In addition, she works with Courthouse Programs Manager Emily Dall'Orso to lead field trips and tours.
Kayla Nordman believes strongly in expanding access to comprehensive civic education to provide the next generation with the resources they need to uphold and expand upon the values of American democracy and create a more equitable future. She graduated from Suffolk University in 2023. As Advocacy Fellow, Kayla works with Executive Director Matt Wilson to coordinate the MCLC's public education and advocacy work to ensure funding for state and district civic education through the Civics Project Trust Fund.
Discovering Justice was honored to host four events as part of the Massachusetts Civic Learning Coalitionâs (MCLC) Fourth Annual Civic Learning Week, March 11-15. Three of these events invited K-12 classrooms across the Commonwealth to âZoom with a Judgeâ to explore the justice system, and the fourth event engaged Massachusetts students, teachers, legislators, and their staff at the Massachusetts State House to speak on the importance of civic education in schools.
More than 3,500 students and teachers from across the Commonwealth logged into the âZoom with a Judgeâ virtual events. More than 80 classrooms attended the Kindergarten-Grade 2 event, which was hosted by United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit Chief Judge David Barron and Judge Gustavo GelpÃ.
Meanwhile, 70 classrooms signed into the Grades 3-5 event hosted by Judge Lara Montecalvo and Judge Ojetta Thompson of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (below).
In the third âZoom with a Judgeâ event, for Grades 6-12, students learned about their Fourth Amendment rights in schools from Chief Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court Donald Cabell and Associate Justice of the Massachusetts District Court, Brockton Michelle Fentress. Joining from classrooms across the state, students were able to think like judges themselves, explaining if they believed different scenarios were violations of studentsâ fourth amendment rights.Â
Teachers in attendance praised the events as âengaging,â noting that students âwere really excited to see the judges,â and they left the events excited to engage in nuanced conversation with their students.
This spring, 29 middle school teams from 12 cities and towns across Massachusetts have joined Discovering Justiceâs Mock Appeal Program. Through expanded district partnerships, that unprecedented number of teams includes four each from Brockton Public Schools and Springfield Public Schools.
Following five orientations this month for new and returning partners, these teams of âstudent attorneysâ began to delve into the complexities of the First Amendment right to freedom of speech and what that looks like in todayâs age of social media. Sessions are now in full swing, with volunteer Legal mentors and students connecting in weekly afternoon sessions across the Commonwealth.
Building off precedent, case law, and facts of their case from the Fall Mock Trial Program, students have split into petitioner and respondent student attorney teams. Additionally, teams have begun to meet with judges to prepare for their Final Events.
Mock Appeal Final Events will take place between May 22nd and June 6th at courthouses across the Commonwealth. These events bring together the studentsâ semester of hard work as they present their cases to panels of judges in front of family and friends.
Children Discovering Justice (CDJ) is a Massachusetts standards-based K-5 civics curriculum that has been revised and enhanced this year through feedback from Teacher Leaders and Professional Development cohort participants throughout the Commonwealth. Teachers can now access fully updated CDJ resources to elevate student discourse and build deeper social studies and civics connections in their classrooms.Â
Erin Wallace, a 3rd grade teacher in Boston, shared, âThe materials are very engaging and give students of all learning styles and abilities an access point!â
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This spring, CDJ classrooms are beginning to develop and implement civic action projects, from installing take-home food bins that reduce waste at school, to letters advocating for changes to the Massachusetts state flag. Using CDJâs Justice Cycle and Justice Journal, students explore justice issues, enact research, make plans, and take action as a class â learning that they have a voice they can use to advocate for change in their communities.
Want to Stay Connected to CDJ? Sign up for the CDJ newsletter, or email questions to Curriculum Developer Victoria Suri: vsuri@discoveringjustice.org.
Kayla Nordman believes strongly in expanding access to comprehensive civic education to provide the next generation with the resources they need to uphold and expand upon the values of American democracy and create a more equitable future. Before joining Discovering Justice, she worked as a Legislative Intern at the Massachusetts State House and as a Program Manager for the Massachusetts Center for Civic Education. Kayla graduated from Suffolk University with a BA in International Relations.