H.S. students set agenda for presidential race

Students from four Philadelphia-area high schools are meeting at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia today, with other students vidoeconferencing from as far away as Louisiana, to discuss issues in the presidential election and create a student agenda for the candidates.

The discussion is part of a series of student meetings on constitutional issues, called The Exchange: A Marketplace of Student Ideas; MTV News reporter SuChin Pak will host.

Local schools involved in the session, either at the Constitution Center or by video feed are: Abington; Chestnut Hill Academy, Conestoga; Penncrest; Springfield (Delaware County) and West Philadelphia.

The two-hour program, which starts at 1:00 p.m., will be broadcast live on the Constitution Center website, at www.constitutioncenter.org/exchange. Students watching the discussion on the internet can email questions.

Students from the 13 participating high schools have been studying a guide prepared by the Constitution Center. During the two-hour session, they will talk about which political issues matter to their life, about the important issues facing the nation and about what they hope the candidates will talk about. The students will also talk about how their personal values affect their own political outlook.

The students will be asked to reflect on issues that have brought about constitutional change in the past, and will talk about a current issue in the media and what the candidates are saying about it.

The meeting will be videotaped; after the event, schools can order a DVD from the Constitution Center. There will be another discussion in the fall, about how to implement the student agenda.