Professional Development
Professional Development
OCLRE provides a variety of Professional Development (PD) opportunities throughout the year including program specific trainings, conferences, workshops on civic education, and authentic instruction methods across curricula! Updates about our offerings can be found on this page, or on our individual program pages.
Looking for a more customized PD experience for your PD day? OCLRE can provide customized PD sessions at your location on topics of your choosing as a benefit of membership or as a service to districts and curriculum partners. Past offerings have included how to discuss controversy in the classroom, creating C3 inquiry lesson plans, literacy and the law, and more! OCLRE members can book a custom PD session for free provided that at least five teachers will be present for the training. Nonmembers can book custom PD for a $150 honorarium. Pricing is also flexible. If you are interested in creating a PD session, contact Ryan Suskey at rsuskey@oclre.org.
Mock Trial Conference
2024 Mock Trial Conference
On September 24th & 25th*, OCLRE welcomed teachers & advisors to the 5th Annual Mock Trial Conference at the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center in Columbus. The activities included sessions surrounding both High School & Middle School Mock Trial, the presentation of the Eiler Award and the premiere of the 2025 Ohio Mock Trial Case Capsule video. Thank you to all those that attended the conference, and a special thanks to the Supreme Court for hosting us!
Missed the Conference? You still have the option to sign up for recordings-only which will give you access to videos of the Day 1 sessions.
*September 25th (Day 2) was for the introductory track only
Mock Trial Conference Cost
| Conference Topics: | One Day: | Two Days*: |
| Introduction to Mock Trial: | $50.00 | $75.00 |
| Deep Dive into Mock Trial: | $50.00 | N/A |
| Recordings-only (Day 1 Intro + Deep Dive): | Available for $25.00 | |
*Day 2 is only available to Introduction to Mock Trial Attendees who also attended Day 1.
If you are interested in learning more about Ohio High School Mock Trial, please contact Jenna Lewis at jlewis@oclre.org.
Ohio Government in Action
Ohio Government in Action is a two-day interactive program that provides educators with effective teaching tools and a renewed enthusiasm they can take back to the classroom.
Go behind the scenes of our government in Ohio’s state capital where educators will interact with the movers and shakers in the executive, judicial and legislative branches!
See the Ohio Constitution come to life
This annual workshop gives teachers an insider’s view of state government via the following:
- Meet with Supreme Court justices, state legislators, and citizen groups
- Tour the award-winning Supreme Court Visitor Education Center and the Ohio Statehouse
- Observe legislative and courtroom simulations
- And more!
Practical classroom application
After you experience first-hand how individuals and groups work together to make, interpret and enforce the Ohio Constitution, head back to the classroom with ready-to-use lesson plans, classroom activities and resources.
Conference Schedule
Sessions each day will generally run from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and will focus on the three branches of state government. Conference agendas are subject to change and will be updated as government schedules are made publicly available.
Conference Pricing
| Member Rate: | Non-Member Rate: | |
| 1 Day: | $80.00 | $160.00 |
| 2 Days: | $130.00 | $260.00 |
Hotel Accommodations
DoubleTree Suites Downtown (located across the street from the Court)
Sheraton Columbus (0.2 mi)
Courtyard by Marriott (0.4 mi)
Testimonials
Teachers share their feedback about OGIA:
“High energy, exciting, and engaging! Valuable data and content for the classroom!”
“Inspiring and pragmatic -- ideas to implement immediately!”
“Speakers were engaging, subject matters were relevant, and sessions were interesting!”
“I networked, learned a great deal, and left with solid material I can use. Quite the trifecta!”
“[OGIA]definitely inspired some new teaching strategies and further knowledge in the content area.”
“I was totally impressed with the conference. I have raved about it all day with both my students and my colleagues.”
“…a great time and very rewarding professional development opportunity…”
For more information about OGIA contact Ryan Suskey, rsuskey@oclre.org, 614-485-3506.
We the People Institute
Teacher Grant Opportunity: Civics That Empowers All Students (CEAS)
Stay tuned for more information about the 2025 We the People Institute!
About CEAS
This project is funded by a Supporting Effective Educator Development Grant from the USDOE with the following goals:
- To increase undeserved grades 4-8 students' attainment of state civics standards, related literacy standards, and social and emotional learning competencies,
- to create inclusive and identity-safe learning environments for underserved students in grades 4-8,
- to support high-quality development for diverse teachers, and
- to study the effectiveness of the updated and enhanced We the People blended-learning professional development program at improving teacher and student outcomes.
Benefits
- Free professional development! A total of 52 hours of professional development in a learning community with mentors and other teachers from Ohio and neighboring states, including a 36-hour in-person summer institute and 16 hours of online academic-year follow up.
- Engaging pedagogy and academic content, centered on the highly effective We the People curriculum
- A network of support and resources for engaging diverse student populations in the history, principles, and current application of the U.S. Constitution
- Scholar guest speakers
- Access to a library of professional development videos with noted scholars and practitioners cued to the curriculum
- Free set of We the People textbooks and teacher's guide
- A stipend for completing program requirements
Program Requirements
For Ohio's participation in this grant, this program is for teachers in grades 7 or 8 who work with 30% or more underserved students, including:
- Students living in poverty (Title I Schools)
- Students of color
- Students with disabilities
- English learners
- Migrant students
- Students in foster care
- Students performing below grade level
- Other
*The Federal definition of high-need students includes qualifiers such as: students in poverty counted in the most recent census date; students eligible for free or reduced-price school lunch; students in families receiving assistance under the State program funded under part A of Title IV of the Social Security Act; students eligible to receive medical assistance under the Medicaid program
Commitments
- Participate in 52 hours of professional development
- 36-hour summer institute; 16 hours of in-service professional development
- A total of 40 hours of classroom instruction using the We the People curriculum
- Involve students in the simulated congressional hearing instructional activity
- Participate in a teacher pre- and post-test
- Administer student pre- and post-tests
Questions? Please contact Danny Rains at drains@oclre.org or call (614) 485-3514.
Constitution Camp
Date: Tuesday, November 19, 2024
Location: The Ohio State Bar Association, 1700 Lake Shore Dr, Columbus, OH 43204
Those who follow the news and legal landscape of our state and nation know that recent years have seen rights surrounding public education and the power of the executive branch in the news incredibly frequently. That’s why, in this year’s Constitution Camp, OCLRE has two expert-led talks lined up to address these important, relevant topics teachers and their students may wish to discuss in their classrooms.
Our first talk will discuss the way the right to education has evolved over time and is reflected differently in the United States and Ohio Constitutions in order to not only highlight this important topic, but also to address this year’s We the People question regarding the Ohio Constitution: Should education be a fundamental right recognized in the U.S. Constitution? What are the arguments for and against education being a fundamental right?
Our second talk will discuss the separation of powers doctrine, the power of the Executive, and the balance of power between the president and Congress. This timely talk will come from an expert in Constitutional law who writes on issues of contemporary constitutional importance, including the separation of powers, judicial review, and the roles of the various branches of the national government in constitutional interpretation.
In addition to these talks, OCLRE will also be hosting a workshop on how to support your students in writing evidence-based arguments. We will also be providing information about our We the People and Moot Court programs for teachers interested in those programs who are curious about how they work or how to get started.
Constitution Camp will take place at the Ohio Bar Association Building in Columbus on November 19, 2024. Register now to attend in person! Can’t attend? Sign up for a recordings-only registration to receive access to recordings of these sessions by November 27, 2024.
Constitution Camp Cost
| Cost (Member & Non-Member Rate): | |
| In-Person (1-Day): | $50.00 |
| Recordings-only: | $25.00 |
If you have any questions, please contact Danny Rains at drains@oclre.org or call (614) 485-3514.
