"I hope (students) will become effective citizens and leaders by using these tools to make their communities, their countries, and this world a better place," O'Connor said of the program, according to the organization's website. The group says it has provided civics education to more than 5 million students in every state in the country. Students put themselves into various roles via online games and work their ways through civics issues, like the path to citizenship, how the executive branch works and constitutional rights. The organization she founded in 2009, iCivics (formerly Our Courts), uses games and digital programs to teach students about civics. O'Connor cared deeply about civics education and wanted kids to understand how policy and government worked, so they could better participate, understand and engage in democratic processes. "But the justice turned their comments back, wanting to know about them." Civics education beyond Phoenix "They stopped in their tracks and thanked her for her service. It was very moving," Suggs said. O'Connor chatted with the deli workers about the different varieties and asked the cashier about her day.Ĭustomers recognized the justice as she was walking out of the store, Suggs said. O'Connor was, coincidentally, wearing a black wrap that looked a little like a judicial robe. Once around Christmas, Suggs recalled, after a meeting O'Connor wanted to bring home tamales. Sarah Suggs, president and CEO of the institute, said O'Connor maintained a busy schedule and a real connection to the community in her later years. Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor accepts the Minerva Award during the Women's Conference Tuesday, Oct. There's also Camp O'Connor, where middle-school students spend five days learning about government and visiting the Arizona Legislature, courts and political leaders. The institute identifies itself as "non-partisan, objective, fact based, centrist, inclusive, collaborative, civil." It holds a speaker series, public forums and a "collaboratory" that focuses on collaborative problem-solving. It strives to continue O'Connor's work in these areas and help the community critically analyze facts so people can best participate in the policy arena. The institute outlines civics education, civic engagement and civil discourse as its core work areas. O'Connor's legacy of service and interest in bolstering civics live on through the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute. More: Sandra Day O'Connor's son: 'We are so proud of what she has done in her life' The Sandra Day O'Connor Institute It has hosted bipartisan legislative dinners and speakers of all political stripes. Those have included a salon-style series of speakers on topics like human trafficking and prisoners of war. The institute’s goal is to conserve the house and advance civil discourse. "It is absolutely astonishing to me that they could move it," she said of the house in 2010, according to an Arizona Republic story at the time. "When I first saw it (here), I just burst into tears. It's just a gorgeous place for it." When O'Connor saw the newly reconstructed house, she admired its new landscaping and was overcome with emotion. The pieces were trucked to Papago Park and reconstructed. It was disassembled brick-by-brick, with each getting a number. She wanted to save it, but it had to be moved - and for an adobe structure, that seemed impossible.īut, with more than $3 million in private fundraising, the house was relocated. In 2006, O'Connor learned that the house was scheduled for demolition, the institute's website says. The house, now located in Papago Park, is open to the public for events. She also fought to preserve and relocate the adobe house she and her late husband, John, built in the 1950s in Paradise Valley. She also taught a two-week course at the University of Arizona's law school focused on the Supreme Court. O'Connor stayed active in the legal community, sitting as a visiting judge in some cases. She spoke at the college's commencement in 2006. The college is run by a board and president, while the chancellor only attends key events like commencement. The role is mostly ceremonial - in the college's earlier days, the chancellor served as a go-between for the college and the Crown in Britain. She served in the role until 2012, when she was replaced by former Secretary of Defense Robert M. In 2005, O'Connor was named chancellor of the College of William & Mary in Virginia, replacing former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. More: Who replaced Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court? Chancellor and speaking engagements
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