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National College Conference for Political Engagement

On September 21-22, over one hundred students representing 48 schools in 43 states gathered at the Institute of Politics for a training and conference.  The participants were comprised of members of the National Campaign for Political and Civic Engagement consortium, presidents of the college republicans and college democrats, and editors of school newspapers from each state’s largest state university.  

The conference agenda included a briefing on the history of the youth vote based on IOP survey data; several training sessions led by the Student PIRG New Voters Project on building the most effective get-out-the-vote strategies; skills training for non-partisan campus organizing; a panel on Web 2.0 and Election 2008 put together by IOP Fellow Nicco Mele; and a training session on how to shoot and upload video on students’ perspective of the election to the Campus Voices website.  The newspaper editors participated in a special skills session with Shorenstein Fellow Eric Poole that addressed how journalism is changing, editorial problem solving, and an ethics discussion.

Each of the student participants from the state schools came away with necessary skills to mobilize and engage their campuses for the presidential election.  Additionally, each committed to writing an editorial for their school papers on their views of the election.  Through these editorials, the students clearly displayed the positive impact and practical benefit of the conference.

View Slideshow of the Event