NEW YORK – Chalkbeat, the nonprofit newsroom covering education across the U.S., in collaboration with Headway, an initiative of The New York Times, has kicked off a project showcasing how students are experiencing this election as November nears.
Chalkbeat and Headway have been posing questions about the presidential election to educators and high school students since February. They have collected responses from more than 1,000 students and 200 teachers, and are using those perspectives to shape election coverage.
In September, the two organizations launched a “Teen Election Challenge,” asking teens across the United States what about the election made them confused or curious, what motivated them to get involved, and who influences their interest and engagement. Students wrote in from all eight Chalkbeat locations, 29 other states, and Washington, D.C. Sometimes, entire classes wrote in from cities like Philadelphia, New York City, and St. Louis.
Last week, Headway published in-depth answers to some of the more than 500 questions from teens, including “Why do we still use the Electoral College?” and “How can I tell if the information I’m consuming is accurate and unbiased?”
Between now and Election Day, both organizations are ramping up our efforts to explain how the election is affecting the school experience for students and teachers. Today, Chalkbeat published an intimate look at how the election is being taught in classrooms in New York, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, and Memphis — with some teachers hosting heated discussions about abortion and others navigating a moratorium on talk of national politics.
“With polarization online at all time highs, we are spending time with real people to see how they’re approaching the election in real life settings,” said Shani Hilton, editor in chief of Civic News Company. “The Chalkbeat team has a unique ability to help us see the world through the eyes of the students whose futures will be shaped by next month’s vote. And, of course, the Headway team brings the power of the New York Times.”
“Hearing from and speaking with high school students all year has reinforced for me why youth are historically such powerful drivers of change in the political system,” said Matt Thompson, the editor of Headway. “It’s been really instrumental to partner with Chalkbeat to connect with young voices who belie the stereotype that teens are inherently apathetic or disengaged with U.S. democracy.”
About Chalkbeat
Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news organization committed to covering one of America’s most important stories: the effort to improve schools for all children, especially those who have historically lacked access to a quality education. We report from and about eight locations: Chicago, Colorado, Detroit, Indiana, Newark, New York, Philadelphia, and Tennessee, and are a Civic News Company newsroom.
About Headway
Headway is an initiative at The New York Times that covers the world’s challenges through the lens of progress.