The United States Bankruptcy Court District of Colorado is committed to providing opportunities for local students to learn about federal courts.  We offer free educational outreach programs in the courtroom, in the classroom, virtually, and in person.  Our volunteers are officers of the court, including judges, attorneys, and court staff, who welcome the opportunity to discuss important topics with students, including civics education, career exploration, and financial literacy.  Programs are based on availability and provided in order of request.  Please see the list below for more detailed information.  Email questions to Danielle Urban at outreach@cob.uscourts.gov.

Civics Programs:

• Q&A Session: Judges, attorneys, and court staff answer questions from students about federal courts, government structure, bankruptcy, and additional topics raised by students.
• Understanding the Federal Courts: A volunteer-led presentation explaining the structure of the judicial branch and federal courts.
• Civility: In the Law and in Life: A guided conversation between students and volunteers about how and why civility is important in our personal and legal interactions.
• Federal Court Tours: Students are invited into the courthouse to explore a courtroom. Judges, court staff, and attorneys are available to discuss their roles and answer student questions.  In some incidences, students can observe court in session or role-play certain court procedures, such as calling the court to order or entering an appearance.

Career Exploration Programs:

• Pathways to the Bench: Federal Judges meet with students to discuss the personal, character-building challenges they have faced that prepared them to serve on the bench.
• Careers in the Courts: Students meet with court professionals to learn about different roles in the courts and the variety of careers available in the Federal Judiciary.

Financial Literacy Program:

• Use Credit Responsibly:  A volunteer-led presentation on using credit responsibly to avoid financial pitfalls that often lead to bankruptcy.

How to Sign Up:

1. Select a program best suited for your students.
2. Determine several date options, your time frame for the program, and the location.
3. Email your program request with date options and location to outreach@cob.uscourts.gov.
4. We will contact you to work out the details.

Let us know how we can help your school.  See the links below to various resources available for public use and meant for educational purposes only.

Educational Resources

Civics Education:

Understanding the Federal Courts

• Federal Courts & the Public
• Court Role and Structure
• Type of Cases
• Governance & Judicial Conference
• Comparing State and Federal
• Judicial Administration
• Inside the Federal Courts
• Federal Judicial History
• Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights

Additional Online Resources

• Federal Courts Civics Education and Courtroom Programs
• US Courts Educational Resources
• Education Resources from the Library of Congress
• Judicial Branch (information and questions)
• iCivics
• Smithsonian Learning Lab

Career Exploration:

• Who Works in the Judiciary
• Explore Careers
• How to Find a Job
• ApprenticeShipUSA
• Career Resource Guide for Students
• FTC Consumer Advice Education and Training

Financial Literacy:

Credit

• Free Annual Credit Report
• Report Fraud
• FTC Consumer Advice Credit and Debt

Student Loans

• Federal Student Aid
• How to Avoid Scholarship and Financial Aid Scams
• How Student Loans Work and How to Avoid Scams

Courts

• United States Courts Financial Literacy Resources

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