June 8, 2026 —A striking community partnership occurs each year between Lathrop residents and students at Easthampton High School (EHS) as they practice for a national competition titled “We the People,” a competition that simulates a congressional hearing, where students are judged on their understanding, reasoning and use of constitutional applications.
Lathrop residents serve as an encouraging, interested and friendly audience, working closely with the students and their lead teacher, Kelley Brown, to prepare them for the state competition, followed by Nationals if they place at State. And the intense training paid off: Easthampton High School (EHS), the 2020 National Champions, recently won the Massachusetts competition for the ninth time in a row.
A Natural Connection
Kelley Brown is impressed by the strong linkage between EHS students and Lathrop residents. “It’s a very natural connection. Our program emphasizes students working with and discussing Constitutional issues with “familiar strangers,” and Lathrop residents are perfect for that task. They are always supportive, inquisitive and helpful. They ask great questions and engage seriously.”
Ethel White, a Lathrop resident participant, has a master’s degree in American history with a concentration on the Constitution and the Supreme Court. She notes that this program “not only familiarizes young people with our Constitution but helps invest in them its importance as our founding document. It has also helped build an affection between Lathrop and EHS.”
Work hard. Think deeply. Prepare to lead the future. This is the EHS motto as they prepare for this elite competition that promotes deep inquiry, civil discourse, civic responsibility, and soft skills for all participants, regardless of their ages.
Intergenerational Book Club
In 2024, the partnership evolved into a cross-generational book club with 20 students and 20 “mostly retired” Lathrop neighbors who read and discussed “The Pursuit of Happiness” by Jeffrey Rosen. Breaking into discussion groups, the participants noted impactful and intriguing concepts.
Surprisingly to some, these younger students and older adult Lathrop residents had multiple similar “take-away” points. The concept of “virtue,” it seems, is much more about doing good than simply feeling good. And they found similarities between themselves and our country’s founders as well: although we are all admittedly flawed, we can continue to strive to do better each day.
Since “We the People” began in 1987, more than 28 million students and 90 thousand educators have participated in the program.