Mary Hunstiger wrote: Kids Voting Minneapolis is a grassroots, nonpartisan organization that fosters an informed, participating electorate by educating and actively engaging K-12th grade youth and their families in voting and other elements of effective civic engagement. We provide civics curriculum materials, which supplement the social studies curriculum in place already, to every school in Minneapolis that is interested. On Election Day, November 8, students are encouraged to go with their parents to the polls to vote. The students vote on a Kids Voting ballot which will include many of the same candidates and issues the adult will vote on. Ballots are scanned and results reported the next day.
Mark Anderson replies: I do like the idea of Kids Voting, but it definitely can be improved from last year. I was one of the volunteers last November for this event. The biggest problem I saw was that the kids had no idea what they were voting for. It doesn't help get them excited about voting when they're just guessing who to vote for. I understand that you try to work with the schools, so the kids will understand at least minimally the candidates running for office. But very few kids that I saw knew much of anything, so I don't think there was much discussion going on in the classrooms. Somehow you need to provide these civics curriculum materials to kids separately from the schools. This includes sending materials to the polling sites, so the volunteers can give them to the kids. You need to have some EXTREMELY simplified materials for the youngest kids, because they won't understand anything at all complex. It doesn't really matter if candidates' positions are distorted because of the simplification; the point is just to get the kids to think about the issues, and feel the power of making decisions. I even wonder if you should just make up some candidates and have the kids vote on them. It's not like the kids understand the real candidates anyway. I really liked the referendums you had last November. They were kid-friendly questions, and didn't require any outside knowledge. Mark V Anderson Bancroft REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
