From 2005-2010 CELD was pleased to collaborate with the Constitutional Rights Foundation and Street Law in a new international civic education exchange program, Deliberating in a Democracy (DID).

DID focused on the importance of deliberation for young people in our society and provided students and teachers with opportunities to practice discussing controversial issues not just within the United States but with their counterparts in other countries.

Teachers and students from Aurora Central High School, Clear Creek High School, Cherokee Trail High School, Denver Center for International Studies, Hinkley High School, Horizon High School, Mountain Range High School, Northglenn High School, Overland High School partnered with teachers and students in Estonia.

Project teachers used the structured academic controversy model to conduct classroom discussions on a range of issues; see the DID website for downloadable materials on 23 topics. (List of topics.) Participating teachers’ students had the opportunity to exchange ideas with students in Estonia, both on-line and through teleconferences.

Many Colorado teachers remain interested in connecting their students with students deliberating similar issues in other nations and/or in other parts of the United States. For help connecting with a Colorado DID teacher, contact Barbara Miller, Executive Director, CELD.