Dear Barbara,
Thank you again for your email last week. I am excited to tell you that we are officially launching our free pilot education program: Connecticut’s Kid Governor 2015! We’d greatly appreciate your help in spreading the word about this pilot program with your librarian/media specialist networks.
This program will engage 5th graders in real-life lessons about our government, how it works and the importance of civic engagement…all from the comfort of the classroom! It comes with easy-to-use, Frameworks-based teaching modules that can be used to guide students through the election of Connecticut’s first Kid Governor OR to run a candidate from their class or school.
Timed to coincide with the 2015 local elections, invited schools from around the state will be eligible to enter one 5th-grade candidate into a race that other 5th graders will vote in.
Kid Governor candidates will submit campaign videos to Connecticut’s Old State House that outline: why they want to be governor, their leadership qualities, community issues that they would like to solve, and a three-point plan that other 5th graders can follow to make a difference around that issue. Classes will watch the top candidate's videos, determine whose platform they want to support, and vote for the candidate they think can help them make a difference. The winning student will serve as Connecticut’s Kid Governor for a year, taking part in programs at Connecticut’s Old State House, encouraging students across the state to take action on their selected issue through video messages, and more!
In early September, we’ll post brief 30-minute lessons on the three branches of government, how elections and voting work, and how to create a campaign platform at http://CT.KidGovernor.org to prepare students for the campaign and election. The lessons can be easily incorporated into curriculum and are aligned with the new Connecticut Social Studies Frameworks. The team at Connecticut’s Old State House will be available to answer any questions teachers have throughout the program. We are also planning a meeting to explain how the program works on Wednesday, September 23, 2015 at 4:30pm – do you think teachers would come to a meeting at Connecticut’s Old State House or would they prefer a webinar?
We are very excited to launch this pilot program and invite classes to participate either in just the voting process or by putting forth a candidate and voting. I have attached more information about the program and how it works. Participation is free and open to all 5th grade classes/home school groups in Connecticut. Interested teachers can contact me directly for more information.
Best wishes with the start of the school year!
Best,
Brian
Brian Cofrancesco
Head of Education
Connecticut’s Old State House
800 Main Street
Hartford, CT 06103
