Young people offer candidates advice on the issues they care about.
As the nation prepares to elect a new President, The National Writing Project and KQED are hosting a collective of nonprofits and public media organizations across the United States to engage middle and high school students in the election. Letters to the Next President 2.0 (L2P 2.0) offers teachers resources, learning opportunities, and curriculum ideas that tap election-year excitement to get young people reading, researching, writing, making media and talking about issues that matter to them.
"This project will create opportunities for educators to further engage youth in concerns that are central to their future," said Elyse Eidman-Aadahl, executive director of National Writing Project. "It is important for students to be civically involved and lend their voice to a conversation about the ideas and issues of the upcoming election.”
Throughout the Spring and Summer, L2P 2.0 partners will share resources and opportunities to hone research, writing, and media making skills. By getting young people to explore questions like, “From your perspective, what are the issues the next president pay should attention to, and why?,” Letters to the Next President 2.0 gives teachers and parents tools to help teenagers become more engaged citizens and, eventually, voters.
"As a public media organization, KQED is excited to join this effort to make sure that youth have a platform to be heard on Election Day," said Tim Olson, Vice President, Digital Media and Education. “Whether it’s the environment, jobs, human rights or healthcare, when a student knows how to produce a video or write compellingly for social media about a heart-felt issue, they can have a powerful voice in the political conversation right now.”
Later this year, Letters to the Next President 2.0 will launch a showcase website where young people 13–18 will be invited to publish and tag their work among other youth from around the country. This site will be open for entries up until the election and will remain open to promote and highlight youth voice and work into the inaugural year.