Our Courts will be a free, interactive, web-based program and eventually a virtual 3D world designed to teach and engage middle-school students in civics.  Through the lens of the judiciary, Our Courts will allow students to participate in realistic simulations of government and to grapple with relevant social issues. They will investigate and argue actual cases and controversies using real law, and they will view these cases from the perspective of the judicial, legislative and executive branches of government.  Our Courts will also encourage young people to act, by voicing their opinions in their communities and to their elected representatives. 

 Our Courts is the vision of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who is concerned that young people today are not learning what they need to know to become knowledgeable and active participants in civic life.  Consider the following facts: Only a little more than one-third of Americans can name the three branches of government. Two-thirds of Americans know at least one of the judges on the Fox television show American Idol, but less than one-in-ten can identify the Chief Justice of the United States.  In 2002, only a quarter of 15 to 25-year-olds reported regular attentiveness to politics and political affairs. 

The news is not all bad, however.  In the 2004 Presidential election 49% of young people aged 18-29 voted, an increase of 9 percentage points from 2000.  The 2008 election is shaping up to be another groundbreaking election year for young people participating in campaigns and at the polls.  Politicians and entertainers are learning how to excite young people about politics and public affairs by speaking to them in their language and through their media about issues that they care about.  Our Courts seeks to bring this approach to the educational arena in order to supply the next generation with the tools they will need for informed civic engagement and leadership. 

Justice O’Connor has recruited experts in education, law, history and technology at Georgetown Law Center and Arizona State University to craft a program that teaches usable and engaging civics tailored to the learning styles of today’s youth.  The Our Courts staff has built a curriculum that is problem-oriented and discovery-based, and that addresses issues that impact kids’ lives.  Our Courts will be presented on a web-based platform that will provide immediate and engaging feedback, a personalized experience, and opportunities for social networking.  

Our Courts has two components. The first component will be used primarily in the classroom.  It will include a series of activities that can be used as a complete civics curriculum (that will exceed state standards) or as a supplement to an existing civics curriculum.  The second component of Our Courts will be an immersive simulation of hypothetical or actual cases which will allow students to engage in cases from investigation to argument to judgment.  It will eventually be embedded in a 3D virtual world that will be built using core principles from the serious games and learning movement.  This component is intended for use in educational venues as well as by individuals on their home computers. 

The philosophy of this two-pronged approach is that in-school and out-of-school learning are both invaluable to civic engagement.  One of the primary purposes of public schools has always been to form a citizenry with the knowledge, skills and values to sustain a democratic system of government.  Justice O’Connor believes that civic education should not be forgotten by our nation’s schools.  It is also true, however, that our young people do a lot of learning outside of school.  Kids today spend forty hours per week using digital media on their own time.  That’s more time than they spend at school or with their parents.  By using a comprehensive and creative approach, Our Courts will maximize opportunities for civic learning to prepare young people for a lifetime of civic participation.