Running and Winning with the League

May 1, 2014
Women’s City Club
Event photos are here!

More than fifty juniors and seniors from all Pasadena high schools got a hands-on civics lesson when they met with elected officials at the U.S. Court of Appeals in Pasadena on April 16, 2014, at a Running and Winning forum. We will hear about it from the perspective of students, teachers, and elected officials’ representatives, and we will view a video of the event.

Sponsored by the League of Women Voters Pasadena Area, with financial support from the Pasadena Unified School District, Running and Winning engages students in the political process, beginning with personal interactions with elected officials. In small group discussions with elected officials, students focus on the why and how of running for political office. Students then break into teams to prepare and deliver campaign speeches based on selected issues in a mock election campaign. At the end of the day, students leave with certificates, photos of themselves with the elected officials, and a greater sense of political connection and empowerment.

“Research shows that civic education, especially when it is interactive and involves discussion of current issues, develops skills young Americans need to succeed in the twenty-first century workforce,” says Carolyn Ellner, chair of the Education Committee of the League, which is organizing the event with help from school district staff. “Students will see elected officials as real people and consider their own potential for political leadership.”

Elected officials share their experience after participating at the Running and Winning Forum.