Publishing Site Now Open to Amplify Youth Voice

August 18, 2016
By Educator Innovator

Letters to the Next President 2.0 publishing website launches. Student submissions are rolling in.

Today’s teens may not yet be able to vote, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have something to say about the election. Letters to the Next President 2.0 (L2P 2.0) aims to support and amplify that youth voice, giving students an opportunity to speak out on the issues that matter to them, as well as helping the next generation of citizens develop discourse and argumentation skills crucial to their participation in civic life.

L2P 2.0 is an initiative that gives young people, ages 13-18, a highly visible platform to voice their opinions on the issues that matter to them during the 2016 Presidential election. And in true 21st-century style, they have the opportunity to publish their letters to the next president in a variety of multimedia formats: everything from videos to audio to visuals and yes, even traditional text-based letters. Teens often have unique and profound insights on the issues they care about—the issues they think matter today and into the future. From immigration policy to the environment, education to health care, young people have remarkable points of view and now they have a new platform to share their perspectives.

Educators Play a Key Role
L2P 2.0 has been designed and developed by educators who understand that not only is civic engagement valuable in its own right, but also that helping students speak out on the issues they care about provides them with a powerful and authentic purpose for writing and making. The initiative also provides a wealth of resources and support for educators, in school and out, so they can integrate this program into their class projects or simply introduce youth to this unique publishing opportunity. Videos and webinars are already posted to give educators some creative catalysts for using L2P 2.0 in their lesson plans this fall.

Educators create an account on the website and then invite their students to register and begin crafting letters in written or multimedia formats. The publishing website will stay open for student submissions through November 8 and all published letters will be available to the public through the presidential inauguration in January of 2017. Culminating activities are in the planning stages now.

Get Involved. Get Engaged. Get Registered.
L2P 2.0 is jointly hosted by the National Writing Project (NWP) and KQED together with a growing list of public media and Educator Innovator partners. Teachers and adult mentors interested in signing up and supporting student registration can register at https://letters2president.org and can follow the initiative on social media on Facebook, Twitter, and using the hashtag #2nextprez.