Out of her 13 years of teaching, social studies teacher Malia Renner-Singer said the highlight took place last December at her students’ presentations for Project Citizen. It was this project that earned her the award of Washington State Civic Educator of the Year as presented in Olympia on Feb. 17.

“Teachers very rarely get recognized, so [the award is] pretty flattering,” Renner-Singer said. “I feel it also is a reflection on the school, the district, and I’m truly sharing the award with Scott Benner.”

Though this was the first year Renner-Singer had her Citizen Washington classes complete Project Citizen instead of the policy paper, she said social studies teacher Scott Benner had completed it with his classes previously. For this project, students worked in groups to research a policy, the issue, and alternatives and then present this information to local leaders and policymakers.

Representative Brad Hawkins, R-East Wenatchee, nominated Renner-Singer for the award after attending these presentations and being inspired by both the students’ and Renner-Singer’s success. The award is given annually at the Capitol on Civic Education Day, “when the Legislature honors the contributions of civic educators and civic education organizations.”

“The students clearly were inspired and well-prepared as a result of this project and through Mrs. Renner-Singer’s hard work and preparation,” Hawkins wrote in his nomination. “The event was highly successful on multiple levels but in particular in connecting students with real-world issues and promoting an opportunity for students, staff, parents, and local leaders to come together and learn from each other.”

According to Renner-Singer, teaching Project Citizen was always in the back of her mind, but she didn’t transition to it from the policy paper until receiving a $1,000 grant from the Community Foundation of North Central Washington. The money has been used to purchase supplies for the project, and she said social studies classes will be turning away from the policy paper.

“Project Citizen has for the most part replaced the policy paper,” Renner-Singer said.

Seniors Jackie Bollinger, Carie Graves, Logan Brown, and Katherine Robinson testified in Olympia on Jan. 30 for House Bill 2410 by the invitation of Hawkins, who was impressed by their Project Citizen presentation. Both their presentation and the bill cover the issue of student nutrition. On Feb. 13, the bill passed on the House floor 91-7, and it is now in the Senate.