{"id":13699,"date":"2020-01-21T14:00:57","date_gmt":"2020-01-21T22:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/educatorinnovator.org\/?p=13699"},"modified":"2020-01-21T14:04:04","modified_gmt":"2020-01-21T22:04:04","slug":"gen-z-talks-about-election-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/educatorinnovator.org\/gen-z-talks-about-election-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Gen Z Talks About Election 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Teresa Wierzbianska<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Randy Depew<\/a><\/p>\n

The Let\u2019s Talk About Election 2020 youth media challenge\u00a0showcase<\/a>\u00a0officially opened for submissions on Jan. 20, 2020 \u2013 exactly one year before our next president is inaugurated on the U.S. Capitol steps in Washington D.C. \u2013 and we\u2019ve already received student media that we are really excited to share!<\/p>\n

In these commentaries, students tell us about some of their most passionately-held (and well-researched) views on top-of-mind issues for teens, like climate change, gun control or reproductive legislation. These students come from communities across the country and the political spectrum. They share their authentic stories about the circumstances that inform their personal views, such as dealing with the illness of a parent or a school lockdown.<\/p>\n

Controversial issues can be a challenge to navigate in the classroom, but\u00a0research<\/a>\u00a0shows that high-quality discussion of controversial topics engages student interest and tolerance of differing viewpoints. And middle and high school students have a lot to say about the issues of the day. Most of them are too young to vote, but they aren\u2019t too young to have an impact on those who can vote. These student perspectives will be shared with a national audience throughout the coming year, online and on-air via KQED and other public media stations throughout the country.<\/p>\n

Young people want to be understood and heard, and we think America wants to hear what they have to say. Listen in and join the conversation.<\/p>\n

Gun Reform\/School Safety<\/h3>\n

With\u00a0130 incidents of gunfire on school grounds in 2019<\/a>, many students report worrying about gun violence. Rae Wymer from Lowell High School in San Francisco describes what it\u2019s like to live through a real-life lockdown and calls for common sense gun reform.
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