skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Alabama woman works to help returning citizens rebuild their lives; Marist polls: Harris leads Trump in Michigan, Wisconsin; they're tied in Pennsylvania; UAW contract negotiations at VW focus on healthcare, safety, wages; NC dentists warn of crisis due to low Medicaid reimbursement rates.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Mock Elections, Debates Spark Interest in Children

play audio
Play

Monday, October 31, 2016   

INDIANAPOLIS – Thousands of Hoosiers will be casting ballots next week, but their votes won't count.

It's a civics lesson for students ages five and up. Indiana state law requires students from 6th to 12th grades be given lessons on the country's election process.

The Indiana Kids’ Election takes it further through a joint effort between the Indiana State Bar, the Secretary of State's office and the Indiana Department of Education. It's under way in all of the state's 92 counties and more than 200,000 students are expected to cast a ballot for president, governor and senator.

Carissa Long, director of Public Relations and Social Media for the Indiana State Bar Association, says the idea is to create a habit of voting while children are very young, so they'll continue throughout their lives, and so they can spread the message of the importance of voting to others.

"Our goal is that a child goes home on Nov. 8th with a sticker that says 'I voted' and it sparks up a conversation with their parents, and hopefully their parents have voted," she explains.

In addition to the mock election next week, students from across the state got to attend a town hall debate between the gubernatorial candidates last month, and presentations by local attorneys are being made in all 92 counties.

Long says the effort is paying off. After the last election, a teacher reported that one of her young students encouraged her mother to become a first-time voter.

"That gets to the heart of our program is just sparking up that conversation, in that special instance the child is teaching their parent about the importance and encouraging their parent to vote," she states.

Schools that have not signed up to participate can do so up until Election Day at inkidselection.com.





get more stories like this via email

more stories
Recipients of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant can now access funding to drive financing for thousands of climate-focused and clean energy initiatives. (bilanol/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan's most vulnerable communities are receiving federal funding to fight the devastating effects of climate change. It's part of the $27 billion …


Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Health Literacy Month, and a Denver-based group is working to help health professionals break a persistent pattern of discrimination …

Environment

play sound

A new report contends fossil fuel funding has biased Columbia University's climate research. The report, by two Columbia students, shows the …


Alabama releases roughly 220,279 men and 78,247 women from its prisons and jails each year. (Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

An Alabama woman is on a mission to help people who've been incarcerated for decades successfully transition back into society. The mission to …

Health and Wellness

play sound

In North Carolina, the gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the actual cost of dental care has reached a crisis point, impacting both …

So far in 2024, community health centers in North Dakota have screened 11,580 patients for food insecurity. Through those screenings, more than three thousand box meals have been distributed. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

September is Hunger Action Month. In North Dakota, it isn't just food banks trying to help underserved populations get nutritious items. Health …

Environment

play sound

Marine biologists conducting deep dives near five California islands are collecting data they hope will strengthen the case for ending gillnet fishing…

Environment

play sound

Researchers at Iowa State University are taking aim at the huge amount of energy used by data centers, now and in the future. They have developed a …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021