* * * MEDIA ALERT * * *
* * * PHOTO OPPORTUNITY * * *
Illinois High School Students Head to State Capitol for
International Civic Education Program
WHEN:
Between 2:00 and 4:00 P.M. on Thursday, March 9, Secretary of State Jesse White will greet the Capitol Forum student participants in his office.
Friday, March 10, 2005, 8:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Live debate in House Chamber from 2:00 to 3:15 P.M. (approximately) followed by discussion between students, legislators, and policymakers, with the participation of Congressman John Shimkus (R-19).
WHERE:
Illinois State Capitol, Springfield
WHAT:
7th Annual Illinois Capitol Forum on America’s Future: a live debate between high school students concerning our nation’s role in a changing international climate, addressing such issues as the environment, terrorism, the global economy, and immigration. More than 100 Illinois students gather on the State House floor to craft their own vision for America’s future, the results of which are shared with elected officials and policymakers on local and state levels.
Through the assistance of the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office, Capitol Forum will be streamed live on the internet www.ilga.gov. This will enable high school social studies classrooms across the state to experience this dynamic program as it is happening in the House Chamber.
WHO:
High School students and Social Studies teachers from the following Illinois schools:
–Judah Christian School, Champaign
–Carl Schurz High School, Chicago
–Clemente Community Academy Chicago, Chicago
–SIUE-E St. Louis Charter School, East St. Louis
–Eureka High School, Eureka
–Homewood-Flossmoor High School, Flossmoor
–Greenville High School, Greenville
–Lockport Township High School, Lockport
–Bureau Valley High School, Manlius
–Newark High School, Newark
–Normal Community High School, Normal
–Normal West Community High School, Normal
–Pontiac Township High School, Pontiac
–Streamwood High School, Streamwood
BACKGROUND:
The Illinois Humanities Council, along with the Secretary of State’s Office, offers the seventh Illinois Capitol Forum on America’s Future. The project, coordinated nationally by the Choices for the 21st Century Education Project at Brown University’s Watson Institute of International Studies, is intended to lay a foundation for student debate on contested current and historical issues.
Illinois is one of 13 states chosen by Brown University to participate in its Choices initiative.
This year’s Capitol Forum was sponsored in part by a grant from the McCormick Tribune Foundation (MTF). The MTF grant helped supply materials and resources for teachers and accommodations and transportation for students.
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The Illinois Humanities Council is a nonprofit educational organization [501 (c) 3] dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities. Organized in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities. The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.
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