Kids Voting of the Northern Shenandoah Valley
"and a little child shall lead them"

Our freedom to vote is one of our most important rights. Yet while countries from around the world fight to gain and maintain this right, Americans stay away from polls in increasing numbers. In 1996 for the first time since 1924, the number of non-voting Americans actually outnumbered those who voted in a national election. America ranks 23 of the 24 western democracies in voter participation.

While voter apathy is alarming, there is hope for the future being provided by a relatively new initiative called - Kids Voting USA. This program is a non-profit, non-partisan, grass roots driven voter education initiative that has produced rather remarkable results since it began in 1987. The program has a two-prong approach. First, it provides educators in grades K-12 with an exciting, nationally acclaimed curriculum enhancement designed to turn-on young people to the responsibility and joys of citizenship and political participation. The Kids Voting curriculum enhancements have been enthusiastically endorsed by teachers. It is not an add-on for the teachers. It helps educators meet national and state standards of quality.
The second major thrust of Kids Voting and the one for which it is best known, are Election Day activities. In communities where the Kids Voting program has been adopted, K-12 students go to the polls and cast their ballots. The students go to the same polling precincts as their parents to cast their votes on specially prepared ballots at an assigned place within the voting precinct. In 1996 more than 4.5 million students went to the polls in 40 states to cast their ballots. Significantly in those communities where Kids Voting was in place, the voter turnout of adults increased from 3 to 9 percent.

Kids Voting offers promise of breaking the cycle of non-voter participation by creating habits of good citizenship. Because of its promise and the fact that the program is in keeping with the INSTITUTE for GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC SERVICE's objectives of promoting citizenship and political participation, the Institute has brought Kids Voting to the Northern Shenandoah Valley region. KV-NSV is a non-partisan, non-profit grassroots organization. Currently KV-NSV has programs in place in the City of Winchester and Frederick, Warren, Clarke and Shenandoah counties in Virginia.

 

Kids Voting Upcoming Benefit Breakfast - Saturday, April 21

 

This year's KV Benefit Breakfast will be held April 21.This year's program has as its theme "Political Civility".   Delegate Clay Athey is the featured speaker.  In addition there will be entertainment provided by area students and testimonials from teachers and parents as to the importance of the Kids Voting program to our community.  The breakfast program is being held in the Special Events Center, Lord Fairfax Community College, Middletown, Virginia, beginning with an 8:00 a.m. buffet breakfast.

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All proceeds from the breakfast will go towards providing resources to support the Kids Voting program, a program designed to create life long voters among students in the Northern Shenandoah Valley.  The program makes available civics-related curriculum material to over 30,000 students in Frederick County, Warren County, Clarke County, Shenandoah County and the City of Winchester.  Nearly 15,000 students participated in the program during the last general election.  Proceeds from the breakfast will support the program’s enhancement and expansion.

 

The cost of sponsoring a table of eight at the April 21 benefit breakfast is $375.00.  If you are interested in sponsoring a table but are not able to attend, your tickets will be given to area students. You can indicate your interest to be a table sponsor at the breakfast by filling out the enclosed response form and returning it in the envelope provided.  All checks should be made payable to Kids Voting of the Northern Shenandoah Valley.  Indicate on the response form if you prefer to be invoiced.  Call the INSTITUTE for GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC SERVICE at 540-665-4696 should you have any questions.  Your support is appreciated.

 

 

Record Numbers of Northern Shenandoah Valley Students Participate in Kids Voting

  

The president of Kids Voting of the Northern Shenandoah Valley – a program initiated by the INSTITUTE for GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC SERVICE – was pleased that a record number of students from the four counties and City of Winchester served by Kids Voting participated in the fall midterm election. Kids Voting President Bruce Santilli said 8,514 students cast their votes at precincts throughout the region staffed by Kids Voting volunteers. This is a 6 percent increase over the number of votes cast by students in the 2004 midterm election. The largest number of student voters were in Winchester-Frederick County, where spirited competition between schools spurred student interest. In Frederick County, student participation from particular classes ranged as high as 90 percent. 

 

The organization plans a retreat in early March to determine what can be done to further promote the program. Anyone interested in volunteering with the Kids Voting program is encouraged to call the INSTITUTE for GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC SERVICE at Shenandoah University at 540-665-4696.

 

Kids Voting Corporate Sponsors

State Farm Agents
T.D. Clayton
Rich Grant

Brenda Parsons

Bill Powers
Kim Smith

Les Veach

Verizon

 

 

Quotes

"Kids Voting has a true double effect. It prepares millions of future voters who will later vote and vote intelligently. Secondly, these kids voting will exert a subtle influence on their parents to vote now."
Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh
President Emeritus, University of Notre Dame

"Teaching children to vote guarantees the future of our Republic. It is so important that they realize that they have the power to make a difference."
Barry Goldwater
Former Senator and Kids Voting USA Board Member

"Kids Voting is a link, a clue perhaps, on how to think about gathering information, making solid decisions in our own minds, and, most importantly, how all our decisions together create our future."
Walter Cronkite
Commentator and Kids Voting USA Spokesperson

"The Viability of a democracy is determined by the participation of its citizens. Voting is the one act which is universally and thoroughly equal."
Barbara Jordan
Former Member of Congress and Kids Voting USA Board Member



Here's How You Can Help
1. As an individual - volunteer to help at a precinct on Election Day.
2. As a group - consider adopting a precinct on Election Day.
3. Make a monetary contribution to Kids Voting of the Northern Shenandoah Valley (your tax-deductible donation is a wonderful gift to our young people and our nation's future).