Thousands of valley students learn and vote

Thousands of students across the Valley are getting ready to vote. Through Kids Voting USA and Kids Voting Arizona, nearly a thousand schools across the state will give students the opportunity to vote just like adults with real ballots. Watch the video to see how it is teaching kids voting curriculum in the classroom.

When I visited this classroom at Kyrene de la Sierra, I couldn't believe I was listening to 5th graders discussing the presidential election. Student says, ”Obama says he would mandate that all kids have health care coverage which I thought was really cool." Student says,” They are just trying to persuade everyone.”

After just two weeks of using the Kids Voting curriculum these students are not only understanding the election process, they are becoming critical thinkers. Student says, ”It's good to vote.” Teacher asks, ”Why?” Student says, ”So you get to voice your opinion."

Student says, “Maybe people don't know the issues and they didn't go out and research." Samantha Iannone says, The Kids Voting gets her excited about issues that she never paid attention to before. Samantha Iannone says, "I really didn't pay as much as attention as I am doing right now because I really didn't think it was that important and it's very important now and you're vote does count."

Teacher Marissa Zebatto says incorporating Kids Voting into the curriculum is easy. You just go o the website click on the grade level and use the list of classroom activities like registering to vote and having a family discussions.

Marissa Zebatto says, “The kids are getting so much out of it. The dialogue between the kids back and forth is amazing. I think they are understanding the why.”

She says the Kids Voting curriculum helps them understand the relevance of it that's what helps them get it.

Kids Voting encourages parents to get involve too by:

Taking your child to vote with you. Itt promotes family conversation and what you stand for and believe.
Choose an issue that affects your kids directly then follow it through the media and discuss it.
Take a walk around the neighborhood and talk about the campaign signs.
Review ads.
Talk to older members of the family about voting histories.
Encourage your child to write a letter or email a candidate.

For more tips click on links to the right.