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The
online comments from students in eight government
classes in two Northern Virginia high schools
could have been taken directly from Virginia
government budget discussions over the last month.
One class encouraged state and local law
enforcement officers to work with the federal
government to enforce immigration laws. Another
suggested raising taxes on things that are bad for
health, such as cigarettes and alcohol, both to
discourage the behavior and produce new revenues
for transportation. A third included suggestions
to focus more on public safety, housing and
building maintenance and overall community
development.
The
occasion was the “Listening to Democracy's Next
Generation” Web Dialogue on Public Policy, a
joint effort by Fairfax County Public Schools, the
Equal Footing Foundation in Herndon and
California-based non-profit WestEd. Del. Kristen
Amundson, D-Mount Vernon, and a former chair of
the Fairfax County School Board, was the catalyst.
"Our
youth are less engaged in what government does, or
should be doing, and I want to change that. On the
flip side, elected officials need to be better
connected to what our youth are thinking about how
government works, and how they can encourage them
to get more involved," Del. Amundson
explains. "Because young people today learn
so much using digital technologies and the
Internet, I decided that WestEd's Web Dialogue
would be the ideal way to engage the next
generation of voters in these discussions."
Students
from the government classes at Mount Vernon and
West Potomac High Schools researched then
discussed online from January 30 to February 2
both the needs and possible budget priorities for
Virginia in education, transportation and human
services. They discovered, with help from expert
panelists invited into the online discussion, that
Virginia has more needs than available resources
and that investments needed for the long-term
often conflict with more immediate demands for
funds. They
were shocked at some facts, such as the Northern
Virginia Transportation Authority’s estimate
that the region needs $46 billion worth of
transportation improvements by 2030 and the fact
that Virginia’s infant mortality rate translates
into two babies dying each day of otherwise
preventable causes.
But
surprise didn’t keep the students from making
some solid suggestions about what to do next.
Install more smartboards in public school
classrooms and give students more flexible
schedules during the day to allow them to both
catch up on work and get ahead. Raise the gasoline
tax one or two percent, use the new revenue to
expand Metrorail and, therefore, reduce vehicle
traffic that requires new roads. Increase pay and
benefits to public safety personnel, such as
police officers, firefighters and military troops,
to recognize the vital services they provide.
Increase state supported research into healthy
lifestyles and give students healthier food
choices.
The
Equal Footing Foundation, a nonprofit started by
the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC)
that now focuses on youth development and
education, helped make the dialogues happen. Equal
Footing gave the initiative a community-based
outlet through its Gum Springs Community Center
Computer Clubhouse. Students from both high
schools could access the online dialogue after
regular school hours. The Gum Springs Computer
Clubhouse is one of six the foundation has located
in regional communities thus far. NVTC helped fund
the project.
"The
computer clubhouse program delivers an adventure
in education and this partnership helps marry
emerging technology with traditional educational
curriculum," said Colleen Hahn, president and
executive director of the Equal Footing
Foundation, which hopes to expand the partnership
into other computer clubhouses and schools.
The
students and classes kept the ideas coming for
four days. Devote more education funds to field
trips and site visits and less to non-educational
spending, such as security cameras. Allow
participation in sports to count for physical
education credits and let an A or a B in a course
serve as the equivalent of passing the Standards
of Learning test in that subject. Increase safety
for bicyclists and pedestrians on major roadways.
Expand public transportation and HOV lanes. Invest
more in public parks and recreational activities.
“If
there were more free stuff to do after school and
on the weekends,” one student counseled, “many
more teenagers would stay out of trouble. A lot of
teenagers get into trouble when they have nothing
to do.”
At
one level it would be easy to shrug off this Web
dialogue exercise as distracting or unnecessary
given other tools educators have at their
disposal. But advocates point out that the format
brings expert voices “into the room” on
emerging policy matters to the benefit of both
students and teachers and that the Internet
channel encourages student participation,
self-expression and continuing research. It’s a
medium most have grown up with. Experts also can
join in at convenient times without traveling, and
the asynchronous format can support students with
a diversity of views across communities, states,
countries and time zones.
In
the end, Web dialogues look like an emerging new
way to listen to democracy’s generation next.
Sending an email to a school system near you might
get one started where you live.
--
February 5, 2007
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