3 THINGS KIDS LEARN WHEN THEY RUN FOR STUDENT COUNCIL

At the dinner table a few weeks ago, my fifth-grade daughter announced her intention to run for vice president of her student council. When I heard it I was worried but supportive. We stayed up late one night making posters while I felt a little anxious about what would happen if she lost. She did lose; but in the end, I’m glad she ran, because she learned a lot along the way.

(A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

One thing she learned about was the role and voice of students in her school. While she knew student council couldn’t offer free ice cream in the cafeteria or guarantee more days off from school, she knew that it provided a way for students to engage their administration in student-centered problem solving. We discussed the kind of benefits she would like to bring to the school and how she might express that through her posters and campaigning. This experience then led to several discussions about larger government elections and how United States citizens make their voices heard.

(B) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

After posters were made and hung, the last big hurdle was for my daughter to ask for her classmates’ vote by giving a three-minute campaign speech on the school stage. She had a stage fright, and she also had to learn to introduce herself, connect with her audience and leave her vice presidential platform quickly. Although public speaking can be scary for many, this practice in front of her peers was quite helpful.

(C) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

In a school campaign, students have to work hard to try to understand what their classmates want from the school and how that can be seen by the school administration and what parent-teacher organizations are able to provide to students. Seeing the problems from many points of view helps students understand the others.