Each letter appears alongside thousands of others from youth around the United States, highlighting a remarkable diversity of ideas and perspectives. From immigration policy to the environment, education to health care, young people have a space to share their perspectives with peers and a global community of interested followers. Educators or adult mentors create accounts on the L2P 2.0 website and then invite their students to register and begin crafting letters in written or multimedia formats.
“Letters to the Next President 2.0 has been developed by educators who understand that civic engagement is valuable in its own right,” said Elyse Eidman-Aadahl, executive director of the National Writing Project. “When we give students a platform to speak out on issues, we provide them with a powerful and authentic purpose for learning, writing and media making. The initiative provides a wealth of resources and support for educators, in school and beyond, and thanks to the power and reach of digital publishing, it provides the nation with a real-time window to what teens care about.”
This publishing website will stay open for student submissions through November 8, and all published letters are available to the public now through the new president’s first 100 days in office in early 2017.
About L2P 2.0
Originally created as Letters to the Next President by the National Writing Project with support from Google Docs during the 2008 U.S. presidential election, L2P 2.0 is hosted by the National Writing Project and KQED, and supported by a growing list of public media and other partners including Teaching Channel, Afterschool Alliance, Bay Area Video Coalition, Educator Innovator, Hypothes.is, The LAMP, Literacy Design Collaborative, Mikva Challenge, National Speech & Debate Association/National Forensic League, The Learning Network of The New York Times, PBS Education, PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs, Student Voice, Youth Radio, Youth Voices, Mozilla, We the Voters and Fusion. To follow news about L2P 2.0, follow @2nextprez on Twitter or sign up for updates at letters2president.org.
About KQED
KQED serves the people of Northern California with a public-supported alternative to commercial media. An NPR and PBS affiliate based in San Francisco, KQED is home to one of the most listened-to public radio stations in the nation, one of the highest-rated public television services and an award-winning education program helping students and educators thrive in 21st-century classrooms. A trusted news source and leader and innovator in interactive technology, KQED takes people of all ages on journeys of exploration – exposing them to new people, places and ideas.
About the National Writing Project
Through its mission, the National Writing Project (NWP) focuses the knowledge, expertise, and leadership of our nation’s educators on sustained efforts to help youth become successful writers and learners. NWP supports a network of local Writing Project sites, located on nearly 200 university and college campuses, to provide high-quality professional development in schools, universities, libraries, museums, and after-school programs. Through its many successful programs and partnerships, the organization reaches 1.4 million Pre-K through college-age students in over 3,000 school districts annually. NWP envisions a future where every person is an accomplished writer, engaged learner, and active participant in a digital, interconnected world.
Media Contacts:
KQED
Ellen Coplan Holderman
415-553-3335
eholderman@KQED.org
National Writing Project
Bob Jobin
510-255-0963
media@nwp.org
