Downers Grove North High Teacher Karen Spahr-Thomas was accepted to the Supreme Court Summer Institute Program
Downers Grove North High School teacher Karen Spahr-Thomas has been accepted to the Supreme Court Summer Institute program. Spahr-Thomas, who has taught social studies at the school since 2001, will travel to Washington, D.C. for the six day educational event in June 2016. After a highly selective and competitive application process, only 60 teachers from across the U.S. were selected to participate. The Institute is open to teachers in the fields of law-related and civic education.
The Institute is led by Supreme Court experts, journalists, authors and lawyers, who provide educators with an in-depth understanding of the judicial process and equip them with skills and tools they need to train their fellow teachers at home.
“I am honored to have been selected to participate in this prestigious program,” says Spahr-Thomas. “With Illinois’ new civics expectations as part of high school graduation requirements, I look forward to sharing the knowledge I will gain from the Supreme Court Institute with students and teachers in the district."
North High Associate Principal for Curriculum and Instruction Janice Schwarze says that Spahr-Thomas is the perfect candidate for the program. Spahr-Thomas is highly knowledgeable about the law, and actively encourages students to be involved in the peer jury program and mock trials. She also regularly invites guest speakers, including FBI agents, detectives and government officials, into the classroom to give students a richer understanding of law. But above all else, Schwarze says that Spahr-Thomas is a student-focused teacher.
“Karen advocates for all students and spends countless hours working with them before school, after school and during her lunch period,” says Schwarze. “She makes a point of getting to know each of her students personally; as a result, her students continually perform better than expected because they feel valued and empowered in her classes.” Learn more about Spahr-Thomas here.
The Supreme Court Historical Society and Street Law, Inc. co-sponsor the program. Street Law creates classroom and community programs that teach people about law, democracy, and human rights worldwide. Their engaging, practical lessons help people develop skills to improve their lives and strengthen their communities. Learn more about the Institute here.
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