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Social Studies Co-Curricular Program

SOA | Close-up | Civics Week | Speeches

Students of America Trip
Annually, ICA students and teachers attend the Jesuit Teach-in and Rally dedicated to closing the School of the Americas, (SOA) held at Fort Benning, Georgia. Students learn about the history of the SOA, and its role in training Latin American soldiers to use propaganda, torture, kidnapping, rape and murder against their own people. The event is held in November to commemorate the lives of four women, Jean Donovan, Sister Ida Ford, Sr. Dorothy Kazel and Sister Maura Clarke, murdered in El Salvador in 1980. The women had dedicated their lives to serving the poor and seeking social justice in a nation ruled by military dictatorship. For more information on the School of the Americas visit the School of the Americas' site.

“Once exposed to the deaths of all ages, I feel the desire to change the ways of mankind.” - Angelica Lopez, Class of 2007

Close-Up.
Students travel annually to Washington, D.C. to participate in a week-long program offered by the Close-Up Foundation. Students meet peers from all over the country, attend seminars and workshops on special issues, including civil rights, civic responsibility, and the Constitution. They tour the Capitol, memorials and the Supreme Court. For more information on the Close-Up Program visit the Close-Up site.

Civics Week: For one week in the fall semester, students honor the role of civic leadership by learning about local and national leaders and about the political process. In 2006, students participated in a speech contest based on the theme, “What Does It Mean to be an American Citizen.” The winners read their speeches at an assembly, which featured a presentation about the candidates and issues on the fall 2006 ballot. Many students volunteer annually in the fall to help local monitors supervise voting.

Speech Contests: Students participate in contests related to Social Studies, including the JFK Profiles In Courage and the Veteran’s of Foreign War’s “Voice of Democracy.” In 2006, Leticia Conde was the ICA winner of the Voice of Democracy Speech. She then moved on to compete with other district winners. The theme of 2006 was “What is the Greatest Challenge of Freedom?”

Leticia wrote: "I believe that choosing what to do with freedom is our biggest challenge . . . Too often, our society lives by the idea of survival of the fittest . . . This is an abuse of freedom.

With all the freedom we have, sometimes we forget morality . . . we have to find a way to show people how to use freedom in the right way. We should start by helping one another before its too late."