Kids Voting got thousands of kids to the polls
12/01/2008
Henry High School students demonstrated their commitment to community service by volunteering for Kids Voting Minneapolis on Election Day, November 4. About 70 Henry students volunteered at all of the 4th Ward precincts, and in a few 3rd Ward precincts, assisting Minneapolis K-12 students in casting their ballots. On Election Day 7,186 students voted in Ward 4!
Kids Voting Minneapolis is a community-based, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to prepare Minneapolis' 50,000 K-12 students to be educated, engaged voters. By combining civic learning in the classroom, family dialogue and an authentic voting experience, Kids Voting Minneapolis is empowering students with the skills and confidence to embrace civic involvement. Civic-minded individuals have the power to build strong communities. Research has confirmed the positive impact of the Kids Voting program on voting patterns and civic participation.
On Election Day students experience first-hand an authentic voting experience by accompanying their parents to their neighborhood polling place. Students cast a Kids Voting ballot, voting on many of the same candidates and issues that adults do. This simple act takes the mystery out of the voting process and instills in students a feeling of pride, accomplishment and responsibility that will stay with them into adulthood.
Henry IB Coordinator Brionna Harder was instrumental in getting Henry students signed up as Kids Voting Minneapolis volunteers this year. She stepped into the shoes of Jane Kostik, the former Henry IB Coordinator. (Jane retired after this last school year.) It was Jane who originally jumped on board with Kids Voting and actively promoted it as an opportunity for community service for her students. Brionna is also enthusiastic about Kids Voting and is a big advocate.
So how did the 7,186 students in the 4th ward vote? Obama, 84 percent; Franken, 59 percent; Ellison, 62 percent. Check out all the election results from individual Camden schools and precincts at www.kidsvotingminneapolis.org/results/2008.