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The fall of Paul Martin’s minority government means that Canadians will be going to the polls on January 23, following an eight-week campaign. For teachers, the federal election provides an opportunity to engage students’ interest in the political process and to prepare them for their role as active citizens.
The Student Vote initiative helps teachers nurture a habit of civic participation among students under the voting age. In less than two years, the program has reached more than 700,000 students from every province and territory. In Alberta alone, during the last provincial election, 66,000 students in 385 schools participated by casting a vote in the Student Vote Alberta election.
Schools participating in the program receive free learning materials and program outline to use during the federal election. During the campaign period, students learn about the democratic process, party platforms and local candidates through in-class lessons and take-home activities that build critical thinking and decision making skills. Some schools organize events such as public all-candidates forums to encourage family and community participation.
The culmination of the program is the actual student vote. On a day determined by each school, students take over the roles of Deputy Returning Officers and Poll Clerks, and conduct a school wide vote with students casting their ballots. Each school counts their ballots and calls in their results into the Student Vote Returning Office, where results are tabulated and released to the public and media across Canada.
Even before the writ of election was dropped, more than 1,000 schools across Canada had registered to participate in the Student Vote program. Teachers interested in participating should register immediately to receive materials for the campaign, and be ready to conduct a parallel vote in their schools the week of January 16 in order to have the results included in the national tally.
The Student Vote program is supported by the Alberta Teachers’ Association and provides an excellent opportunity to gain positive publicity for schools and to highlight the role played in encouraging active citizenship. More important, the program has demonstrated success in engaging students and their families in the electoral process that is at the core of democracy and Canadian society.
To register your school, visit the Canadian Student Vote website (www.studentvote.ca/federal/index.php).
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