MAGPI / Constitution Center Election Program

Check out this program from MAGPI and the National Constitution Center:

ISSUES FACING PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES: A New Exchange Program from the National Constitution Center!

DATE: September 23, 2008

TIME: 1-3 p.m. EDT

TARGET AUDIENCE: High School Students

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

In order to be an interactive videoconference site for this event, your site must have H.323 videoconferencing capabilities. Your site must also be connected to your national high speed research and education network (i.e. Internet2 in the United States).

DESCRIPTION:

The National Constitution Center is excited to invite your school to participate in the latest installment of its national student program, The Exchange: A Marketplace of Student Ideas. This event will take place on Tuesday September 23, 2008 from 1pm-3pm EDT. This installment of The Exchange, Setting the Student Platform 2008, asks students to consider the issues facing the presidential candidates in 2008 and work together to create a political platform for the nation’s students. This Exchange will follow up on the work done by students in May 2008 to create a student agenda. The discussion will be hosted by SuChin Pak from MTV and Dr. Michael Hogan from the Center for Democratic Deliberation and Pennsylvania State University.

The Exchange allows students all over the country to converse with one another about current constitutional issues using Internet-2 videoconferencing. It is an exciting way for students to explore issues with their classmates and peers in other parts of the nation.

Schools that participate in The Exchange will be asked to use the provided curriculum to prepare their students to be part of the conversation. Students will also have the opportunity to create and post their own media include art, video, and websites in The Exchange online community, which can be accessed from the National Constitution Center’s website at: http://www.constitutioncenter.org/ncc_edu_TheExchange.aspx. Some student created media may be selected to be displayed during the video conference. If your students decide to create any video or audio clips, we ask them to not exceed 2 minuets in length.

If your school chooses to participate in The Exchange, you will be asked to select one student to be part of the videoconference round table. During the videoconference, students will have an opportunity to interact with each other and share their thoughts on numerous issues facing the country. Students will use this deliberation to assess each issue, and create a student platform for the upcoming presidential election. Additionally, students who are not taking part in the discussion will be able to send questions and comments to SuChin and the participating students via a simultaneous online chat.

Participating schools must have connectivity to the INTERNET2 network and the ability to do H.323 videoconferencing.

While there is no cost to participate in this event, we do will ask schools to work to make sure this event is a success. Schools will be responsible for the following:

• Selection of student representative
• Preparation of students through the use of the provided Exchange curriculum
• Support student created materials and submit them to our new social networking site being developed for this project
• Participation and successful completion of videoconference testing prior to the event with the National Constitution Center

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

I hope you are able to participate in this remarkable opportunity. If interested, please contact Jason Allen at either jallen@constitutioncenter.org or 215.409.6644 by September 12, 2008 for registration and information. Mandatory videoconference testing will be the following Friday, September 19, 2008.

Heather Weisse Walsh
MAGPI Applications Coordinator
3401 Walnut Street, Suite 233A
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6228
phone: 215-573-6417
email: hweisse@magpi.net

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