The Texas Young Lawyers’ Association presents Vote America Texas State Capitol Rollout Premiere for the students of Austin ISD September 15, 2008

TYLA program coordinator David Courreges gets his team ready for the program and to serve as capitol tour guides to Austin ISD students TYLA President Sylvia Cardona extends a welcome to over 300 students in the Capitol Auditorium representing all of Austin’s great high schools!

Amy Welborn delivers greetings to the students on behalf of the Austin YLA. Melanie Kirchhof and students from L.B.J. High School

During Quiz & Prizes time, TYLA’s David Courreges hams it up with folks from Lanier, including Assistant Principal Michael Perkins (far left in bottom photo).

Representing the Austin ISD Social Studies Department were Curriculum Team members Janie Maldonado, Janie McClam, Susan Everett, Supervisor Joe Ramirez, and Terry Loessin (not pictured). The Social Studies team is excited about this latest Law-Related Education project developed by TYLA and proud of the continued relationship with the organization that brings such programs as these to Austin’s schools.

TYLA volunteers take students on tours of the State Capitol – along with their chaperones! Shown here are Margot Millard (right) of Crockett as well as Neil Bonavita of Eastside Memorial and Ian Grayson from the International High School (below).

LBJ Students; Texas Capitol Rotunda.

Following the program at the State Capitol, the students arrived at the Texas Law Center… where they were treated to a pizza lunch by TYLA and a special guest speaker… Reagan’s Glenn Stirrat, Barbara Aviles from Garza Independence HS, and Terry Loessin from the AISD Social Studies Curriculum department.

A featured speaker in the Vote America video documentary, Norma Cantu, Professor of Law & Education at the University of Texas, brings a personal message to the students outside the Texas Law Center.

Cheryl Reese, Volunteer Coordinator with the Travis County Voters Registration Office, deputizes a group of students on the spot! Crockett seniors Andrew Guerrero and Alex Castro (far left in row) are now ready to…

…sign ‘em up!” Calvin Elliot from Crockett HS gets instructions on filling out the Voter Registration card from Alex Castro.

Social Studies teacher Glenn Stirrat and his group of students from Reagan High School pose with AISD Social Studies supervisor Joe Ramirez before departing the day’s event.

Today, every adult American citizen regardless of race, gender, religion or socio- economic background has the opportunity to vote. The dreams of our founding fathers, propounded by action, gave us the right to change, the right to be heard, and the right to vote. However, this was not always so. To remind us of our civic duty, Vote America! educates students about the heroic efforts made for equality and democracy; the struggles of the civil rights era, passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and the 15th, 19th, and 26th amendments to the U.S. Constitution are all chronicled in this historical video. Vote America! continues a longstanding tradition of the Texas Young Lawyers Association's commitment to producing quality, law-focused education programming for the citizens of Texas and beyond.