Norwalk, CT – Eighth-grade Social Studies students at Ponus Ridge Middle School today participated in a Cablevision and MSNBC interactive “election event” that focused on the U.S. presidential election process, from the history of presidential inaugurations to the intricacies of the electoral process to the unpredictability of the Democratic and Republican conventions. Joining the students for the program were Congressman Jim Himes, Congressman Chris Murphy and Sacred Heart University Department of Government/Politics Chairman Dr. Gary Rose.
Following welcoming remarks from Congressman Himes, Congressman Murphy, Principal Linda Sumpter, Cablevision Vice President of Education Trent Anderson and Cablevision Vice President of Government Affairs Adam Falk, Social Studies teachers Pat Jeanette and Mary Ann Long gave on overview of the project. Students then viewed a clip of an MSNBC election video and made presentations related to the topic. Dr. Rose spoke about the election process and a Q&A with Congressman Himes, Congressman Murphy and Dr. Rose followed.
“I’d like to congratulate participating students from Ponus Ridge Middle School for their comprehensive presentations and insightful questions,” said Rep. Himes. “Teaching the next generation about the election process will help them understand what makes our government unique and the importance of casting their vote when the time comes.”
“The U.S. presidential elections are an exciting and important part of being an American,” said Rep. Murphy. “Each of the Ponus Ridge Middle School students today did a terrific job focusing on national elections, as well as on significant moments that have made the political process so compelling throughout our nation’s history.”
Cablevision Vice President of Education Anderson added, “More than ever, in a presidential election year, it is imperative that young people become informed about the workings of our government and what the presidential election process entails. At Power to Learn, it is our mission to provide teachers and students with state-of-the-art technology to help facilitate these learning experiences through events such as these.”
Power to Learn, Cablevision’s nationally recognized education initiative, is dedicated to integrating technology into education. Through its “Triple Play for Education” program, Cablevision provides its full suite of video, high-speed Internet and digital voice-over-cable services to schools for educational use. These services are available free of charge to K-12 schools across the company's service area in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and four western states. In addition to providing the technology, Power to Learn also provides innovative educational curricula and tools designed to make technology useful to teachers, students and parents. More information and content is available at www.powertolearn.com.