Middle schools students of the D.C. Higher Achievement summer academy program recently visited GW. One of their campus stops included partaking in a one-hour Library Program "Law School Rock!" This year's program, held July 30, was hosted on behalf of GW Law's Jacob Burns Law Library. The group was welcomed by staff members, who had prepared activities for their visit. "I also benefited from a Higher Achievement program when I was in middle school, and it feels good to give back," said Andrew Lawrence, a GW Law staff member.
Students were given an introduction about what it takes to go to law school and watched a short video, School of Rock's "I'm Just a Bill," about how laws are made. After the video, students participated in a discussion where they were asked questions about the laws they may know. The last activity that they participated in was a mock trial on cyberbullying. Students were able to experience what it would be like to be in a court of law; they were assigned parts with scripts, performed the trial, and were able to render a verdict. "I enjoy working with middle schoolers. They face many challenges in their young lives," said Germaine Leahy, Head of Reference/Energy & Environmental Librarian.
The D.C. Higher Achievement summer academy program allows students to visit college campuses, where they have the chance to learn about different areas of studies. Since 1975, Higher Achievement has served over 10,000 scholars in Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, and Richmond, VA.