Letters to the Next President
Middle and high school students may not yet be able to vote, but they have a lot to say this election year. A new project, Letters to the Next President 2.0, encourages students to use their voice to weigh in on issues that are important to them. This project engages and connects young people, aged 13-18, as they research, write, and make media to voice their opinions on issues that matter to them in the coming election.
More than 1147 letters (so far) have been sent from students around the country covering issues like gun violence, education, climate change, and immigration. This collection amplifies a strong youth voice on issues that resonate across generations, on the eve of a historic election.
What are your students thinking and feeling this election? What do they think the next president needs to hear? Encourage your students to share their opinions in a letter or video, or use the already created student content as a catalyst for important conversations in your classroom before and after the election.
Letters to the Next President has teamed up with PBS SoCal's local PBS Newshour Student Reporting Labsto share voices from our local school sites. Watch a few of our staff picks:
https://youtu.be/O14nGABNPOo
https://youtu.be/EOFWMqIBOwk
https://youtu.be/xRUcalmyk_E
https://youtu.be/pjR0AW-OL9w
https://youtu.be/nfNNZPXXJys
For more (awesome) classroom election resources, check out:
- PBS Election Collection
- Best of Enemies, a film detailing the 1968 debates between Gore Vidal and William Buckley that many cite as the dawn of modern political conversation, and this accompanying discussion guide.
- Willie Velasquez: Your Vote is Your Voice, a documentary about the grassroots movement that would change the nation’s political landscape and pave the way for the growing power of the Latino Vote.