ENACT at Laramie County Community College in Wyoming: Learning About State Government from the People Living and Breathing it Every Day
Prof. Lily Rowen, ENACT Faculty Fellow
September 2025
Since “American and Wyoming Government” classes fulfill a General Education requirement at our community college, some of the students enter my ENACT class already passionate about government, while others enter the class dreading the semester.
However, even the students who thought they would not enjoy studying government often get swept away with the excitement of the ENACT courses, as these course designs show students how government affects their lives, and how they can be part of the process.
PHOTO: The students of "American and Wyoming Government" with Prof. Lily Rowen (seated at center) at the Wyoming State Capitol in 2023.
In Wyoming, the state legislature is part time and meets for 40 legislative days in odd numbered years (the general session), and 20 legislative days in even numbered years (the budget session). The result is that the legislative sessions fly by! Legislators have an intense workload without the support of a salary, office space, or staffers.
Additionally, the legislative sessions always occur during the winter months, so we have to be flexible in order to stay safe in the wild Wyoming weather. Wind, snow, sub-zero temps, and ice are more powerful than any political institution!
The students and I are always in awe of the sheer volume of bills considered and debated by legislators, members of the public, and policy advocates in such a short amount of time.
PHOTO: Prof Lily Rowen with students from "American and Wyoming Government" at the Wyoming State Capitol in the 2021-22 academic year, the first year she taught the ENACT course. The seated student went on to intern with the state legislature after taking the course.
Even with their heavy legislative workload, our classes have been visited by state legislators such as Representative Trey Sherwood (D, Laramie) and Senator Affie Ellis (R, Cheyenne). We have also learned from local government stakeholders like Cheyenne City Councilor Dr. Michelle Aldrich and Pine Bluffs Town Councilor Janna Kestner.
We are lucky to have also had the opportunity to engage with lobbyists and policy advocates including Kylie Taylor from Compassionate Conservatives (advocating for repealing the death penalty in Wyoming), Sara Burlingame from Wyoming Equality (advocating for LGBTQ+ rights in Wyoming), Antonio Serrano (Policy Director for the ACLU Wyoming), Jason Baldes (leader of the Bison Restoration project for the Eastern Shoshone Nation and the National Wildlife Federation), and Stephen Latham (leading the Wyoming chapter of the NAACP).
The policy advocates and representatives from local government have shared with the students how the decisions made in the state legislature affect their work. All of these voices and perspectives have served as active learning methods for students. What better way to learn about Wyoming government than from the people who are living it and breathing it every day?
Additionally, the Wyoming State Capitol has an amazing Legislative Services Office (LSO) team who make the students feel comfortable when we are visiting the Capitol. They are always quick to offer a tour of a historically significant room within the Capitol and share their funny and sobering stories about legislative events with students. The LSO volunteers and staff make the students feel welcome at the Capitol, reiterating the idea that it is the “people’s Capitol” and they can always stop in when they’re in the neighborhood.
PHOTO: The students of "American and Wyoming Government" with Prof. Lily Rowen (seated at front right) at the Wyoming State Capitol in 2023.
The students excel with the ENACT assignments. One of my favorite assignments is the “Letter to a Legislator” assignment, in which students advocate for or against a specific bill after researching that bill extensively.
The bills chosen by students have a wide range of subjects, from otter protections to Good Samaritan rules. The students are smart, passionate, and eloquent when describing their positions on these bills. We all learn a lot about a wide range of topics from this assessment.
Since Wyoming is a small state and the legislators do not have staffers, it is not unusual for students to receive a direct response to their letter from a legislator. Some of our students have shared their research-based testimony with legislative committees directly, using our class assignments as references.
I am always hearing and reading positive feedback from students about the applied nature of the ENACT courses. The experience of Kristina Green ’27, one of the spectacular ENACT students from my spring 2025 class, shows the impact this course and the ENACT approach can have on students. [See her reflections below.]
I believe that the ENACT model affects students beyond the duration of the class. For instance, 75% of the students who have completed the internship program with the Wyoming Legislature were enrolled in the ENACT version of the “American and Wyoming Government” course before applying for the internship program.
Teaching “American and Wyoming Government” classes as ENACT courses has been a transformative experience for me. It has been such a joy to observe the students engaging with the state legislative process and getting excited about civic engagement.
ENACT Faculty Fellow Lily Rowen is an Instructor of Political Science at Laramie County Community College, teaching in the Human & Public Services Pathway. She holds a PhD in Political Science from Claremont Graduate University.
“American and Wyoming Government” – an ENACT student perspective:
“My name is Kristina Green, and I am in long-term recovery. That means I haven't used any mind-altering substances since 6/16/16. Over my nine years of recovery, I have transformed into a completely different person. Currently, I am a Certified Peer Specialist in Wyoming, working at a mental health office. I use my lived experience to help others develop coping strategies to handle life without substances.
“I’m exhausted by the loss of lives. Overdose deaths are a serious issue worldwide, now more than ever. Losing many loved ones personally motivates me to find ways to reduce overdose fatalities and assist those afraid to call police.
“I began attending Laramie County Community College in fall of 2024, unsure of my career path. I am intrigued by people, and helping others is my passion. When I learned in January 2025 that Wyoming was the only state without a Good Samaritan Law or similar legislation, I was puzzled. This prompted me to research how other states implement such laws and their impact on overdose rates.
“My favorite part of this research was learning about the San Diego Sheriff's Department. Their data on how the Good Samaritan Law and Naloxone training have positively affected their community gave me hope.
“As of July 2025, Wyoming has become the last state in the U.S. to pass a Limited Immunity Law. Exploring different state laws related to the Good Samaritan Law has been fascinating. Although I've only researched a few states so far, I plan to continue. My goal is to see overdose death rates decline as people learn the positive impact that this law will have in the long run."
– Kristina Green, Laramie County Community College Class of ’27
More about ENACT: The Abraham Feinberg Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation