Raise Your Voice!

Credit Hamza Aden

Young people are among the least likely to vote. This November, Americans will decide the makeup of the next Congress, and the results could change the course of the nation, or solidify the conservative direction of the country. 

Polls predict that anywhere from 28 to 56 percent of eligible voters under 24 will vote, and their involvement could be key for either Republicans or Democrats.

We want to know what young people think about the upcoming elections and issues today. 

And we've got a few questions that might get you going:

Does voting matter? 

Why don’t young people vote - and what could we do to increase youth engagement at the polls?

Is there an issue that would get you to vote?

What issues should we all care about?

Do you feel like political candidates are speaking to people your age?

Should voting be opened to people even younger than 18? 

How would you get more young people to vote?

We’re looking for your ideas on these issue. Write, shoot video, record and edit audio interviews, nearly anything goes. Pick one or more of these ideas and get rolling. We want to hear from you!

Raise Your Voice! is Maine Public's platform for ideas and perspectives from students and teachers. We reach a broad audience interested in education and supporting young people.

To get started, contact Dave Boardman, our education program coordinator at dboardman@mainepublic.org or call or text him at 207-423-6934.

Credit Photo by imgix on Unsplash

And if you're a teacher and interested in working Raise Your Voice into your curriculum, reach out. We'd love to talk about ways to connect your students with our audiences.

Part of The Maine Education Project and funded by The Nellie Mae Education Foundation, Raise Your Voice! provides a forum for students and educators to share what it means to teach and learn in today's world.

Click the headline of each story to read the full text.

Early Start Makes School a Sleepy Challenge

By Andrew Young • Dec 5, 2016
Andrew Young

On most school days, teens across the United States sit in classrooms, heads on hands, slowly dozing into a dreamy abyss.

All students have had the feeling of a heavy head, eyelids slowly fluttering closed while listening to a teacher. Being a teenager myself, I have witnessed many students suffering from sleep deprivation. Every night, students struggle to get a normal amount of sleep. This translates to a daily struggle in the classroom. The problem happens throughout the day, but especially in the morning. Students lose focus and have a hard time paying attention. A sedentary classroom is a perfect opportunity to grab a few minutes of much needed sleep.

Sleep-deprived teens have a hard time focusing while in school, but a lack of awareness in school is not the only problem created by a shortage of sleep. Missing sleep during the week along with bad sleep habits on the weekend presents teens with a host of problems. Young adults are still in the growing process and need enough sleep to regenerate both their minds and bodies. According to some of the latest research, teens who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to engage in risky and unhealthy behaviors, including smoking, drinking, drug use, and fighting, among others.

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