Students accurately predict 2018 midterms

Kids Voting USA has provided K-12 students an opportunity for civic learning.

DOWNINGTOWN >> Since 1988, Kids Voting USA, a national network of community-based affiliates that partner with schools and election officials, has provided K-12 students an opportunity for civic learning. Through classroom instruction, family dialogue and an authentic voting experience, Kids Voting’s goal is to improve the voting behavior in our younger generation.

Kids Voting provides teachers with curriculum and different types of activities to teach their students about the process of voting and each political party. Students are not only educated about the requirements and procedures to help develop critical thinking and decision-making skills, they are also taught the value that voting has in our country.

Throughout the Kids Voting project, students study each candidate and the issues surrounding their campaign. According to Jay Stone, CCIU special events coordinator, “Parents are encouraged to spend time with their children discussing the candidates and issues. They are also encouraged to help their children gather information from newspapers, television and magazines.” Adding, “It’s a great way for parents to spend time with their children, teaching them about the importance of voting.”

After the students are prepared in the classroom, they participate in a voting experience using a ballot that mirrors an actual election ballot with the same candidates and issues. This real-life experience reinforces the knowledge and skills gained through the curriculum and activities they have been taught in the classroom.

“Kids Voting USA is very proud to work with Kids

Voting PA Chester County. This opportunity that is given to our youth, is not only preparing them to be educated future voters, it is also securing our future democracy by assuring engaged citizenship,” said Kevin Ruegg, CEO of The Arizona Bar Foundation, which sponsors Kids Voting USA.

The following Chester County schools participated in the 2018 Kids Voting midterm election: Avon Grove High School, Bayard Rustin High School, Charles F. Patton Middle School, Collegium Charter School, East Coventry Elementary School, East Vincent Elementary School,

French Creek Elementary School, Hopewell Elementary School, North Coventry Elementary School, Owen J. Roberts High School, Owen J. Roberts Middle School, Penn Wood Elementary School, Pocopson Elementary School, Renaissance Academy, Saint Agnes School and West Bradford Elementary Schools.

The students accurately predicted the outcome of the United States Senator and Governor races. For United States Senator, 47 percent of students voted for Bob Casey, 40 percent voted for Lou Barletta, 9 percent voted for Libertarian candidate Dale Kerns and 3 percent voted for Green Party candidate Neal Gale.

For governor, 73 percent of students voted for Tom Wolf, 21 percent voted for

Scott J. Wagner, 4 percent voted for Green Party candidate Paul Glover and 2 percent voted for Libertarian Ken Krawchuk. To see a full list of the Chester County students’ predictions for all of the candidates, please visit: www. cciu.org/KidsVoting.

To kick off the project, a Kids Voting Ceremony took place in October at the Chester County Historic Courthouse in West Chester. Students learned about the importance of voting and ambassadors from the Chester County Intermediate Unit’s (CCIU) Technical College High School (TCHS) participated in a mock voter registration where they publicly signed a document committing to register to vote when they turn 18. The ceremony was coordinated by the CCIU.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Chester County Intermediate Unit students cast votes.