User:Sandorj/Student Vote Canada

Student Vote is a Canadian non-profit, non-partisan organization that works with educators across the country to engage young Canadians in the democratic process. Originally named Kids Voting Canada, Student Vote was created in 2003 in response to the low voter turnout, particularly among young voters, that had been observed during Canada's 37th general election. While Student Vote has offered a variety of programs aimed at enhancing students' habits of democratic citizenship, the Student Vote Day parallel election program has been the organization's longest running and most successful initiative, having involved more than 2 million students over the course of 9 parallel elections.

History
In 2003, Kids Voting Canada was founded in Toronto, ON by Taylor Gunn and Lindsay Mazzucco in response to low voter turnout. Voter turnout to federal elections had been in decline since the 34th general election in 1992, and Elections Canada reported that voter turnout in the 2000 election was the lowest in over 100 years. Likewise in Ontario's provincial elections, voter turnout had not risen above 70% since the 1971 election. Kids Vote Canada partnered with Elections Ontario to design and provide elementary and secondary school teachers across Ontario with lessons and materials to teach students about election administration, the structure of government, central election issues, and the voting process. By the end of the provincial election campaign, over 300,000 students had participated in the parallel election. After the 2003 Ontario election, Student Vote partnered with federal, provincial, and municipal elections offices to design and deliver eight more parallel election programs. (see table)

Since the foundation of the organization, Student Vote has also experimented with the development of non-election programming for schools. These projects have included the 2004 Budget Debate, the Great Canadian Job Interview, the Students’ Assembly on Electoral Reform, and the Great Canadian Wish List.

Parallel Election Program
Parallel elections run in conjunction with federal, provincial, or municipal elections are the principal means by which Student Vote promotes habits of democratic citizenship among Canadian students. Teachers who register with Student Vote during an election campaign receive a teacher resource booklet that contains lesson ideas for educating students about the right to vote, the structure of government, election issues, and the process of voting as well as the ballots, ballot boxes, voting screens, and instructions for running a parallel election within a school.

By the time that a student participates in Student Vote Day by casting a ballot at her or his school's parallel election, the student's involvement in activities suggested in the teacher resource booklet should have allowed the student to acquire the following characteristics:


 * Appreciates the right and responsibility to vote
 * Knows how votes translate into representation (seats)
 * Knows the roles and responsibilities of federal, provincial, and municipal government
 * Knows the political parties and the party leaders
 * Knows the major planks of each party’s platform
 * Knows electoral district and differences between the local candidates
 * Knowledgeable of an election issue of personal importance
 * Knowledgeable of an election issue of national importance
 * Knows the correct methods, times, and locations for properly casting a ballot
 * Conversed with a friend or family member about the election
 * Critically consumed election news
 * Met and/or communicated with a candidate
 * Volunteered in a campaign or the administration of the election
 * Practiced the act of casting a ballot

Student Vote has prepared separate resources for elementary teachers (Grade 4 to Grade 8) and secondary teachers (Grade 9 to Grade 12) for each parallel election program.

Criticisms

 * Impact on immediate and future voter turnout is difficult to quantify
 * Attitudes of voter apathy persist after election campaign concludes
 * Previous teacher resources have been geared primarily towards students who have strong reading and writing skills