Estrella Middle School
Phoenix, AZ
Laurie Richards is entering her 25th year in education, with nearly all of her teaching experience in 7th and 8th grade social studies. For the past three years, she has taught at Estrella Middle School in the Cartwright School District. Prior to that, she was deeply involved in civic engagement—canvassing for local elections and initiatives, serving as a student council advisor for 13 years, and being honored as the AAJHSC Student Council Advisor of the Year.
Ms. Richards’s passion for civic education has led her to serve as a judge at We the People Competitions, lead Teen Court, and even give her students the rare opportunity to join a Zoom discussion with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
During the 2023–2024 school year, Ms. Richards took on her first Project Citizen experience, learning together with her students to navigate the process. It was both eye-opening and inspiring to see the real-world issues her students cared about and the innovative solutions they proposed. Their hard work paid off as they not only made the Project Citizen Arizona State Showcase, but they won the top portfolio award in Arizona and represented our state at the national level. During the 2024-2025 school year, they repeated that success by again earning top honors, as well as winning the popular vote for the portfolio.
Watching her students develop and implement real solutions to community problems has been one of the most rewarding experiences of her career.