Dena Drabek, State Coordinator for the My Voice™ National Student Mock Election this year, says this digital initiative of the Pearson Foundation will give students across the country the opportunity to cast their votes for federal and state candidates in an online mock election, Oct. 25-Nov. 1st.
The YMCA OF GREATER OKLAHOMA CITY has registered all of its 15 after school program sites to participate in the National Mock Election, Drabek said, and educators across Oklahoma are urged to do the same for their classrooms. Adults must register participation for students at http://nationalmockelection.org/register.
Free materials and curriculum have been developed for the program to create thoughtful lessons leading up to and around the upcoming election of the president, U.S. senators and representatives. Current partner content includes curriculum, lesson plans and gaming programs from Agents of Change, BrainPOP and Don’t Forget Ed. Additional content will be posted in the coming weeks.
America has one of the lowest rates of voter participation of any of the world’s democracies. Almost half of eligible voters do not cast ballots in presidential elections (even less Americans participate in other elections), and studies have found that many Americans lack basic knowledge about their elected representatives and how our government works. With over 74 million Americans under the age of 18 today, if present trends continue, most of these youth will not go to the polls and vote. The 2012 My Voice National Student Mock Election project aims to encourage young people to share their opinions and concerns about national topics, social issues, education, and their communities.
