Carmel High School Teacher Heads to Court

Carmel High School Social Studies Teacher Susan Tornatore will travel to Washington, D.C. in June to attend the prestigious Supreme Court Summer Institute.  

Tornatore teaches senior Economics and Law, a required course at Carmel High School.  

“The institute will enrich my understanding of how the SCOTUS operates, selects cases and makes decisions,” Tornatore said. “I am eager to learn how I can integrate recent Supreme Court decisions into our law curriculum in a way that is meaningful for our students. The activity I am looking forward to the most is being present for a live reading of a decision by the justices at the Supreme Court on June 13th.”   

The Institute offers teachers the opportunity to study recent Supreme Court cases in detail and learn innovative teaching methods for conveying this information to students. Well-known Supreme Court lawyers, reporters, scholars, and educators will be among the speakers and instructors for the Institute. A recent evaluation of the Supreme Court Summer Institute found that, after the program, teachers who attended felt much more confident discussing controversial issues and Supreme Court cases in their classrooms, discussed Supreme Court cases and used interactive teaching strategies more frequently, and gained critical knowledge about the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Upon returning home, teachers will be available to present workshops on teaching about the U.S. Supreme Court, and to meet with media to discuss how the new skills and information will apply in their classrooms. 

Tornatore was one of only 60 teachers nationwide who were selected to participate in the six-day program this year. The Institute, open to teachers in the fields of law-related and civic education, is co-sponsored by Street Law, Inc. and the Supreme Court Historical Society.  

Street Law, Inc. creates classroom and community programs that teach people about law, democracy, and human rights worldwide. Their engaging, practical lessons help people develop skills to improve their lives and strengthen their communities.