This November, while millions of American adults head to the voting booths to determine the next President of the United States of America, Lakewood students in 5th through 8th grade will have the opportunity to choose their own elected leader as a part of the Lakewood Public Library’s “Election!” program. This fall, the Children’s and Youth Services Department is asking student participants and the community at large to help decide who will become the first President of the United Streets of Lakewood, our fictional foray into the world of politics and the electoral process.

As a part of this 7-week program, students will learn about elections from start to finish by creating a candidate to run on the platform they choose. Children's librarians will serve as blank-slate candidates who will represent their team’s viewpoints, allowing students the chance to groom a candidate to their specifications. From behind-the-scenes projects such as determining and researching issues to more public ventures including campaigning and writing speeches for their candidate, students will gain first-hand experience in roles such as press secretary and campaign manager as they work towards winning the election. Supplemental learning activities, including games and puzzles, will help round out the program and provide students with yet another fun and engaging way to learn about the electoral process.

From now until November 4th, you can help support the library’s program and the students involved by stopping by the Children’s and Youth Services Department at the Main Library or by accessing the department’s web page at www.lkwdpl.org/youth to “vote” for your favorite librarian-candidate. Brief biographies of the candidates as well as their position on city/library issues, as written by their team of students, will be available at both sites to help you make an informed decision. Your votes will be tallied on November 5th, and the winner will be announced that evening. Those students who are a part of the winning candidate’s team will celebrate their victory at a special breakfast with Mayor Ed Fitzgerald and Ward 2 City Council Member Tom Bullock on Friday, November 14th where they can discuss what they learned and ask questions of our much esteemed guests.

Students interested in participating in “Election!” which meets every Wednesday from 7-8:30 P.M., October 1st through November 12th, should contact the Lakewood Public Library’s Children’s and Youth Services Department at 216-226-8275, extension 140. Registration is required, and space is limited.