Inspiring, involving the next generation
"I'll be at the polls," said Dzantik'i Heeni Middle School eighth-grader Alex Holloway. "I'm going to go vote."
For more information on the Kids Voting program,
please visit AlaskaLegislature.com
Holloway will be one among the thousands of Juneau students who may vote alongside their parents in Tuesday's general election as part of the Kids Voting program.
Over the last several weeks Holloway has recorded public service announcements for radio, trained as a student reporter, been interviewed by the media several times, and had a letter to the editor of the Empire published - all to help Juneau become more informed on the upcoming election and to help reduce voter apathy.
"Up until now I haven't been too involved with anything that has to do with the elections," Holloway said. "But now that I've done this, I've really got to learn more about the issues and the candidates."
One of Holloway's radio interviews will be broadcast around the state Monday on the Alaska Public Radio show "Early Edition."
"It's really important to be involved with what's happening with our government and that's what this program is helping people do," he said.
Juneau's Kids Voting chapter, which is modeled after the national program under the same name, began in 1996 in order to "encourage all people to participate and be more engaged in our democracy," said Jamie Marks, a seventh- and eighth-grade teacher at Dzantik'i Heeni.
"We are doing different things inside and outside of the classroom to have a real effect on the election," Marks said.
Marks' classes have been heavily involved with the Kids Voting program, which has included a voter registration drive, hanging up posters across the community, conducting a candidate forum, and participating in an elections unit of study. On Election Day the program will reach the climax with a student mock election of the real ballot measures and candidates.
"Kids Voting has become an integral part of the election unit that I would be doing anyway," said Marks. "The goal is to have the parents bring the students to the polls so they will become a lot more likely to register to vote, to vote, and to participate at other levels.
"If I can empower (students) to learn the process of voting and the process of becoming informed, then perhaps their involvement will bring more parents and other adults they know to the polls."
One of Marks' students, eighth-grader Jeremiah Crockroft, noted that the program is nonpartisan and has no political agenda other than inspiring children to go to the polls to vote.
"I'm hoping that we'll get at least 3,000 kids in Juneau to vote," said Crockroft. "Then they'll learn that voting is simple, easy and fun. And they'll learn about the importance of voting, just as I have."
Charla Wright, a Kids Voting board member and Juneau School District administrator, said that in 2000 about 2,300 of the 5,500 students in Juneau went to the polls.
"Citizenship needs to be something that is active," Wright said. "If we disengage and aren't involved with what's happening with our community, then our sense of community begins to feel like it's falling apart. Voting is a big part of a community being a community."
Board Chairwoman Marjorie Menzi said she is excited about the students' involvement and enthusiasm for the program.
"What's exciting to me is that they're feeling connected with the process," she said. "We're helping to grow a new generation of involved citizens."
Menzi said the program is beneficial in many ways.
"It's helping to instill the habits that we want them to continue with as adults," she said. "And it's helping to strengthen our democracy by bringing together the whole community on behalf of our young people."
She said every voting precinct, as well as Juneau-Douglas High School, will have Kids Voting booths staffed by a Kids Voting volunteer.
"A lot of volunteers have to be involved with this process," said board member Betsy Brenneman. "We have to coordinate a lot of volunteers to pull this off on election day, and everything is falling into place. We're ready to go."
Marks said the program already is a success because of the active participation of the students.
"The kids really have learned a great deal," he said. "They've learned a lot and they have a lot to contribute to the community."
Eric Morrison can be reached at nrclerk@juneauempire.com.