Niles Prep Recognized at City Hall in Kansas City for Civics Project

March 6, 2006

(KANSAS CITY, MO) -- Niles Prep students and staff recently received accolades from city councilmen and a proclamation from Mayor Kay Barnes for a special government and civics project sponsored by the law firm, Sonnenschein Nath Rosenthal LLP, during a recent visit to City Hall in Kansas City, MO.

The students are exploring the workings of local, county, state and federal government in the unique civics project that also will commemorate the law firm’s centennial anniversary.  The firm’s Kansas City office selected Niles Prep, the alternative education program of Niles Home for Children that serves about 40 students in grades K-9, to represent its community outreach project that is dedicated to education during the centennial anniversary.

Called the Sonnenschein-Niles Education Project (SNEP), the project kicked off in January with Niles Prep students learning about rules and laws, while selecting Student Council representatives from among their peers.  In special civics lessons, students are establishing their own “local governing units” within their classrooms and within the school to mirror what they are learning about city, county, state, and federal governments, said Vonnelle Middleton, director of education services for Niles.  Throughout the year students will keep a journal or notebook to chronicle their lessons and activities, which will include field trips and various guest speakers, including attorneys and other staff members from Sonnenschein.

“At the culmination of the project, we hope that students will understand how they can become a more active participant in their community,” Ms. Middleton said.

“Everyone at Sonnenschein, not only in the Kansas City office but at our seven other offices, are quite excited about this project,” said John Marvin, a partner and chairman of the law firm’s Centennial Committee.  After meetings with the Niles staff and a tour of the facility to see what is being accomplished, he said, “We were convinced that this is the program for us.”  He added that the law firm expects to be more involved than only funding the project, and plans to volunteer at Niles Prep and co-teach some of the civics units.   

In addition to a visit to City Hall in Kansas City, the Sonnenschein-Niles Education Project will actively involve students on field trips to the Kansas City Police Department, Missouri General Assembly, Kansas Legislature, Jackson County Detention Facility, the Jackson County Legislature, and Exchange City.  The program will culminate with a weeklong visit to Washington, D.C., where they will visit the office of Sonnenschein, as well as the U.S. Congress, the Supreme Court, the National Archives, and other relevant places of interest.

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Photo Caption: Niles Prep students and staff receive a proclamation from Mayor Kay Barnes presented by Councilman Terry Riley and Mayor Pro-Tem Alvin Brooks (second and fourth from left). Joining in are (from left) Millie Crossland, city clerk, Valerie Nicholson-Watson, Niles president/ceo, Vonnelle Middleton, Niles director of education services, and Thalia Cherry, youth advocacy manager.