Read This: Parties Search for Fountain of Youth
Ben Adler of the Politico just posted another story about the youth vote in this election cycle. You can read it here.
Labels: youth vote
posted by Lindsey B. at 4:43 PM
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Wake Up and Smell The (Political) Future
Pearson’s YVote Contest Designed To Turn Student Apathy Into Activity
Upper Saddle River, NJ – DATE – Young adults care about the world around them, but not enough translate that concern into political action: Eighty-four percent of college freshmen volunteer for public service, yet in the last three presidential elections, the average turnout of Americans under 25 years of age was only forty percent.
Why don’t they take advantage of one of their most fundamental rights?
“Young people care, and are anxious to make a difference but they haven’t discovered the power of politics,” said Daniel Shea, Professor of Political Science and founder of the Center for Political Participation at Allegheny College, and lead author of Pearson’s new Living Democracy textbook.
To encourage participation in the political process, Pearson created and is sponsoring the YVote Video Contest through its Living Democracy TV (LDTV) portal on MySpace, http://www.myspace.com/livingdemocracytv.
YVote asks students to make a 30 to 60 second video commercial urging their peers to register, vote, and become more politically proactive. First prize for the best video is $2500, with four runner up prizes of $1000 each. Deadline for submissions (which may be emailed through the LDTV site) is Dec. 1, 2007. The videos will be judged by a panel of over 20 American Government professors, and all videos will be available from the LDTV site for preview.
Featured on the LDTV page are tips on how to make an ad, including a sample video, and an audio/visual guide to the current crop of presidential candidates. The site also includes a fascinating sampling of broadcast television campaign ads from 1952 through 2004.
“We know that young adults pay attention to what their peers have to say, and YVote is designed to capitalize on this,” said Shea. “We want to stress the importance of making your voice heard, and to show that individuals can make a difference.”
Living Democracy aims to inspire students and help them experience the impact of government in their daily lives. Every feature of the book -- the writing, design, examples, and photos -- is designed to encourage students to participate in learning, in the classroom, and in bringing about change. Shea’s co-authors are Joanne Green, Associate Professor of Political Science and the Director of Women’s Studies at Texas Christian University; and Christopher Smith, Professor of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University.
About Pearson Education
Educating 100 million people worldwide, Pearson Education (www.pearsoned.com) is the global leader in educational publishing, providing research-based print and digital programs to help students of all ages learn at their own pace, in their own way. The company is home to such renowned publishing brands as Prentice Hall, Addison Wesley, Longman, Allyn & Bacon, Benjamin Cummings, Custom Publishing, and others. Pearson Education is part of Pearson (NYSE: PSO), the international media company. In addition to Pearson Education, Pearson's primary operations include the Financial Times Group and the Penguin Group.
Contact:
Rod Granger
Pearson
212-641-6114
rod.granger@pearsoned.com
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