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STUDENT VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE UNDERWAY Miami-Dade County Public Schools is preparing students to be knowledgeable, responsible citizens by teaching them the fundamental values and principles of American constitutional democracy. This commitment includes helping students understand the importance of their future participation as responsible and informed voters. One of the District’s most important civic education projects is the annual Student Voter Registration Drive held during the months of April and May in all Miami-Dade public senior high schools. Using class-by-class computer printouts provided by the District, social studies teachers will identify and pre-register eligible 17-year-old students, primarily targeting those enrolled in the required 12th grade American Government and Economics course. Also this year, Noah Gray, a 15-year-old student filmmaker from Miami Palmetto Senior High School made his award-winning documentary entitled, “Virgin Voting” available to all high schools. In the documentary, presidential candidates and students are interviewed about the importance of being informed voters. A collaboration between the Miami-Dade County Elections Office and the District’s office of Curriculum Instruction, Social Sciences, the Miami-Dade school system’s student voter registration program is one of the most successful in the state and across the nation. Last school year, 13,229 students were registered to vote, and since the program’s inception in 1972, more than 261,000 students have been registered to vote. Additionally, eligible students have the opportunity to register to vote during the fall of major election years. This past fall, approximately 1,000 students were registered in time to participate in the Florida Presidential Primary held in January. To maximize student participation for the November 2008 presidential election, another drive is scheduled for this fall. For further information please contact John R. Doyle, Administrative Director, or Charles Murray, District Supervisor, Curriculum and Instruction, Social Sciences, at 305-995-1982. ### 08-JJS/284/HD
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