Return to 2025 SoEs

Jackson Memorial Middle School

Massillon, Ohio

Principal: Kacy Carter
Advisors: Kacy Carter, Lexi Washburne
Student Council Officers: 10

Projects

“Little Congress Goes to the State Capitol “

On two separate trips, members of Little Congress were able to travel to Columbus. First, students visited the Ohio Supreme Court and participated in a guided tour. The tour finished with a question and answer session with a clerk of the court who discussed his experience as a lawyer. Second, students traveled again to Columbus to tour the Ohio Statehouse. During this trip, students met with a staffer for State Representative Scott Oelslager and did a question and answer session with State Senator Jane Timken who also previously served as the chair for the Ohio Republican Party. Students also had the opportunity to meet with a staffer from Governor DeWine’s office and tour the Governor’s office.

“Bear Hugs Collaboration Act”

First, Little Congress members presented the idea of helping Bear Hugs in a General Assembly meeting and advocated for learning more from the organization itself. Second, Little Congress members invited Katherine White, the leader of Bear Hugs, to address the congress and describe the work completed by Bear Hugs. Third, students organized an ongoing collection drive in the middle school to gather resources to be donated. Collection boxes were placed throughout the school, and advertisements were placed on the daily announcements, in the weekly school newsletter, and fliers were hung around the school.

“Little Congress Rallies for School Pep”

Little Congress members worked over the course of the year to advocate for, plan, and implement student celebrations that involved different events, several of which took place outside in the football stadium. The initial idea was to get students outside during their lunch time, but it then expanded to whole school assemblies throughout the year to build school spirit. Originally, JMMS had one pep rally a year. As a result of this project, there has been a school-wide thumb war assembly, a Pi Day celebration including teachers getting a pie in the face and a costumed teacher race across the football field, and a teacher vs. student basketball game for all three grade levels.

“Little Congress Forum”

The 8th grade leadership for Little Congress planned and organized a day-long Forum to discuss what Little Congress is, what it does, and how students can get involved. The 8th grade leadership for Little Congress drafted permission slips for their parents to sign that would allow them to miss classes for a day while they met with students in the JMMS Learning Commons. These students then met with the Social Studies department to set up a schedule in which Social Studies classes would spend the period in the Learning Commons. The Little Congress members then designed a slide presentation that detailed Little Congress and they held mini town-hall meetings to discuss Little Congress.