Brianna Willits

Brianna Willits

Hamilton High School

Chandler, AZ

Brianna is a high school social studies teacher at Hamilton High School in the Chandler Unified School District. She has been teaching for 12 years and is in her second year of working with the Hamilton High School We the People team. She has received rigorous training in in this curriculum enabling her to be successful in the implementation of this program. Her passion for history and civic education is contagious and her students benefit greatly from her dedication to teaching. During the 2018-2019 school year, her We the People team took first place at the Arizona We the People Regional Competition. This was during her first year teaching We the People at Hamilton High School! They then went on to win 2nd place at the Arizona We the People State Competition. Additionally, they received an invitation to compete at the National We the People Competition. All this was accomplished during her first year of teaching at Hamilton High School.

Brianna is passionate about law related education and has keen interest in programs offered by the Foundation. She strives to learn and share her knowledge with both her students and colleagues. She also attended the “When You Turn 18” training and is planning on implementing a When You Turn 18 class at her school. Students will learn about the rights and responsibilities they receive when they come of age. Brianna is very innovative, understands challenges, and seeks to step up and provide her students with law related curriculum that is both impactful and meets the state standards.

Brianna’s commitment to her students can be seen in all that she does both on and off campus. This past summer, Brianna had the opportunity to attend the Center for Civic Academy's Presidential Academy in Baltimore, MD where she spent two weeks working with scholars and educators specialized in civic education. In an effort to expand civic education and engagement in our community, her class has partnered this year with a 4th grade class at Haley Elementary School where they spent an afternoon learning together on Constitution Day and have an ongoing peer-to-peer pen pal partnership. Brianna understands the importance of civic learning and leadership and all the extra work she puts into attending professional development trainings has an immensely positive impact on her role as a teacher.