There’s no better way to understand the role we each play in a democratic society than to experience it firsthand. At Wellington, students at all levels are practicing civic engagement by drafting legislation, reporting news, and exploring history.
Lobbying for Change
Each fall, students in Jodi Porterfield’s 4th grade class take a deep dive into democracy, citizenship, and the election process. They start with lessons on the Magna Carta and the founding of the U.S., including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the three branches of government. Porterfield’s students then put what they learned into action by writing their own charters and legislation to improve areas of the school.
This year’s legislation proposals ranged from more dress-down days and additional recess time to bringing pets to school and trips to exotic locales. In small groups, students chose one change to focus on, exploring the benefits to the classroom and the wider Wellington community. They wrote letters and created campaign posters to advocate for their bill as it moved through each branch of government, with their classmates representing the House of Representatives and Porterfield serving as the Senate. Each bill was then reviewed by Wellington’s leadership team, who collectively represented the executive branch.
“The only rule was that students could not vote for their own bill,” said Porterfield. “They had to lobby their constituents and convince them to vote for it.”
Four bills made it to the Senate floor. The executive branch ultimately passed two. One allows students to rearrange the daily schedule to include mindful time in the middle of the day. The second approved a class fish and the purchase of necessary supplies.
Students now get to reap the benefits.
“If you need some Zen time in your day,” said Porterfield, “swing by our classroom for yoga.”
Debating the Issues
Porterfield’s 4th graders aren’t the only Wellington students drafting and advocating for legislation. This year, 107 upper school students—more than half of the upper school—participated in the 75th session of Ohio Youth in Government (OYG), a statewide initiative that invites students to draft and debate legislation through a mock legislative process. A second group attended Model UN, where students play the role of delegates from different countries and attempt to solve real-world issues.
“By giving students hands-on experience with how these systems work, they begin to see themselves as part of the process rather than outside it,” said Jackie Butler P ’27 ’30 ’37, upper school history, who advises students in both OYG and Model UN. “My hope is that they leave these experiences feeling empowered to ask questions, stay informed, and take action in ways that matter to them.”
At OYG, students from across Ohio write their own bills on issues they care about and support them as they move through the full legislative process, including committee debate and advocating on the House and Senate floors.
The entire process takes place at the Ohio State House—and the topics often mirror the issues debated by legislators. Recently, many have focused on issues affecting schools, such as driver’s education, mental health resources, physical education, and financial literacy.
“Students experience government in a way that is authentic, relevant, and empowering,” said Erin Cornett ’96 P ’34, upper school history teacher and OYG advisor. “They grapple with the challenges of compromise, persuasion, and policymaking.”
Rio Price ’28 and Sophia Patel ’28 at George Washington University’s 2026 Model UN
Reporting the News
While much attention is often placed on the democratic process, journalism is equally critical to maintaining an informed electorate.
Two middle school students, Marco Littleton ’32 and Gia Malhi ’32, are now getting an inside look at reporting the news with the launch of their own newspaper, MS Madness.
“We had both read books about middle schools with newspapers and wondered why Wellington didn’t have one,” said Littleton. “We had the idea to go to [Sloan Magliery, assistant head of middle school], and ask if we could have a newspaper club.”
The first issue was released last spring. This year, they’ve built a student team with reporters, editors, photographers, and comic artists. Coverage includes announcements about school, student-created comics, and interviews with students and teachers.
“We have learned a lot about news and reporting, like how to better format articles, writing out questions before interviewing someone, and how to lead a group of writers and reporters,” said Malhi.
The newspaper is student-driven, but Carrie Williams, middle school math, serves as an advisor. She helps the team brainstorm story ideas, strengthen their interviews, revise their writing, and meet deadlines. Building a newspaper from the ground up is an opportunity to develop lifelong skills, said Williams.
“They’re practicing collaboration, time management, and problem-solving as they work together to meet deadlines and produce a finished publication,” she said. “Even more importantly, they are building confidence in sharing their voice and recognizing that their perspectives and stories matter.”
Marching Towards Justice students during this visit to Birmingham
Reflecting on Justice
To understand present-day issues, it often helps to look to the past.
That’s the thinking behind Marching Towards Justice, a three-week course for sophomores, juniors, and seniors led by Chris Robbins P ’17 ’22, upper school English, and Molly Owens, middle school social studies.
Last summer, 14 students spent a week delving into the people and places of the Civil Rights Movement. They then spent five days visiting major sites in Alabama, such as the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site and the National Memorial for Justice and Peace in Montgomery, and Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham.
Standing in the same place where civil rights demonstrators were once sprayed with fire hoses made history come to life. “The kids come away with a much better understanding,” said Robbins.
“It helps them draw lines between what happened historically and what is happening in the present day.”
Following the trip, the students spent a week developing a website (marchingtowardsjustice.com) with photos, memories, and reflections from the experience.
As Gareth Cheslock ’27 wrote, “This trip has made me realize that the fight for rights and its opponents never really dies but changes.”