The Junior State of America announced today that it will hold an “Election 2012 Conference” for high school students on October 20, 2012 at the University of Houston in partnership with the Hobby Center for Public Policy.
Balloons, banners, fiery speeches and heated debates will fill the conference halls of the University of Houston as high school students examine the candidates for President. Students will have the opportunity to express their opinions, campaign for and cast a vote for the candidate of their choice. Throughout the conference, students will debate controversial issues and present their own opinions on the topics upon which the fate of the nation rests. Representatives of the Romney and Obama campaigns will capture the thrill and excitement of the election season. The Election 2012 conference will give students the chance to evaluate the candidates on their merits, qualifications, and positions on the issues. The conference will be a unique opportunity for students to look beyond the sound bites and TV ads and to determine the best candidate to lead the country.
Faculty from the Hobby Center for Public Policy will give the students an overview of the importance of this election and an analysis of the critical issues that the candidates will discuss throughout the fall. The Hobby Center’s involvement will help students understand the policy ramifications of the campaign promises made by Governor Romney and President Obama. With this educational foundation, the students will be better informed as they seek to understand and engage in campaigns and elections.
Griffin Rubin, the Governor of the Texas Junior State and one of the conference planners said “I am ecstatic for the one day conference in Houston. The election races will be headed into the final three weeks, so the debates and discussions will be captivating.”
For more information, contact Jack Cahn, JSA Public Relations Director at jcahn@jsa.org, or Stephen Bayne, JSA Program Director at sbayne@jsa.org, or Dr. Renee Cross, Associate Director, Hobby Center for Public Policy at rcross@central.uh.edu
ABOUT JSA
Providing civics education and leadership programs for nearly 80 years, JSA is the largest student-run organization in the United States. School-year programs take place in more than 450 secondary schools in 35 states, with more than 10,000 members. The JSA program is supported by the Junior Statesmen Foundation Inc., a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt educational corporation, which provides guidance to JSA’s student leaders. It has offices in San Mateo, Calif., and Washington, D.C. More information is available at http://www.jsa.org/ or jsa@jsa.org.
ABOUT THE HOBBY CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY
Established in 1981, the Hobby Center for Public Policy serves the Houston community as an impartial research organization within the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Houston. Directed by Dr Jim Granato, the results of the Center’s research are shared with the community through publications, media, conferences, symposia and educational programs. For more information visit http://www.uh.edu/hcpp/index.htm
Contact: Jack Cahn, National Public Relations Director, The Junior State of America
(800) 334-5353; jcahn@jsa.org
Contact: Renee Cross, PhD, Associate Director, Hobby Center for Public Policy
(713) 743-3972; rcross@central.uh.edu
