Student Voices Aims to Engage State Young People in Political Process

PHILADELPHIA -- Pennsylvania high school students will have the chance next fall to participate in a national program to engage young people in politics and government and prepare them to become active citizens.  

Student Voices, based at the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, was created in 1999 to improve the civic education of high school students in cities throughout the country.  A $500,000 grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York will allow the program to be implemented for the first time on a statewide basis in Pennsylvania.

In the fall, students who participate in Student Voices will learn about campaign issues and candidates in the 2004 elections, while in spring 2005 the focus will be on local and state government.   Using the Student Voices Web site, teens will be able to follow news coverage, link to campaign websites and participate in online discussions and lick pollson local issues. Classroom exchanges with public officials and candidates forums will also be scheduled.

What makes Student Voices so successful is the way the project connects students to their local communities, helping students raise issues of concern to young people and follow campaigns for political offices through their local media,said National Project Director Phyllis Kaniss.  tudents become more informed about issues, more engaged in public life and more likely to register and vote.

While high schools throughout the state will be able to participate in Pennsylvania Student Voices, 100 teachers will be selected for an intensive two-day workshop to be held June 23rd - 24th  at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.  At the workshop, teachers will learn how to integrate Student Voices into their existing curriculum.  

In addition, each teacher accepted for the June workshop will receive:

• A $500 honorarium for participating in the training and implementing the curriculum.
• A $500 Learn and Serve America grant, provided through the Pennsylvania Department of Education, for service learning projects connected to Student Voices.
• The opportunity to serve as part of the audience for the taping of Justice Talking, the award-winning National Public Radio show.
• Complimentary passes to the interactive show and exhibits at the National Constitution Center.

Teachers must apply for the June training, by writing to:  

Pennsylvania Student Voices

Annenberg Public Policy Center

3620 Walnut Street

Philadelphia, PA  19104

They may also send an email to PaStudentVoices@aol.com or go to the Web site, www.student-voices.org/pennsylvania to apply.  

Student Voices is a national civic education initiative of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania with funding from the Annenberg Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.  The project has been implemented in Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Newark, New York, Philadelphia, Tulsa, San Antonio, Seattle and Washington, D.C.