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2025–256 Events
Dates for the 2025–2026 We the People competitive events will be announced in early Fall 2025.
Contact us: info@vacivics.org
Invest in the future of Democracy
Volunteer
Virginia's Students Need You
How You Can Help
The success of We the People competitions and Project Citizen showcases depends on the generosity of volunteers who serve as judges, facilitators, and timers. Community leaders, academics, attorneys, judges, public servants, elected officials, education professionals, program alumni, and so many others are integral to every program, whether in person or online. Consider giving your time for one of our programs to show your support for our students.
The Volunteer Experience
“I look forward to my annual conversations with the ‘We the People’ participants, both students and fellow judges. Their insights and informed opinions about the constitutional issues of the day have provided me with much to ponder by the end of the day. I always leave the competition having learned something new every year.”
— Lee Hart
Emily Voss
Emily Voss comes to civic education from the museum world, where she was passionate about making museums relevant to the modern world. She currently serves as the Manager of National Programs for the Center for Civic Education. Prior to that, she served as the Education Director at the Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution at James Madison’s Montpelier where she spent the past decade developing programs for adult professionals that invited engagement with America’s founding documents. She served as the Virginia State Coordinator of the We the People program for 10 years and is a co-founder of Virginia Civics. Emily holds a BA in History from Gettysburg College, and an MA in Museum Education from the Cooperstown Graduate Program (SUNY). She and her family currently reside in central Virginia.
Co-Executive Director & Chief Programs Officer
Jen Patja
Jen Patja has dedicated her career to strengthening constitutional self-government through her work with Virginia Civics, the Center for Civic Education, and Montpelier’s Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution, where she served as Deputy Director. Jen is a co-founder of Virginia Civics, and served as a House of Delegates-appointed member of the Virginia Commission on Civic Education, a state legislative commission, from 2014–2024. She is the producer and editor of “Rational Security,” a weekly foreign policy and national security roundup, and “The Lawfare Podcast,” a daily audio production in cooperation with the Brookings Institution. She is also a speaker with the U.S. Speaker Program at the U.S. Department of State. Jen has held teaching and research positions at the University of Virginia, most notably in Criminology and the school’s University Internship Program with the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. She received her master’s in Sociology from the University of Virginia, and a bachelor’s in English from the University of California, Berkeley.
Co-Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer
Amelia Bochain
Amelia Bochain has devoted her professional life to effective social studies education that fosters civil discourse. As a classroom teacher for nine years, she implemented project-based learning that focused on civic engagement and encouraging effective discussion skills. She is particularly passionate about the We the People program, where she coached teams that placed in regional, state, and national competitions.
State Coordinator
