Information for Teachers

The first thing we want you to know is that the Youth Citizen Journalist Network is a not-for-profit educational organization.

Our purpose is to offer young people ... all of them "citizen journalists" ... the opportunity to write and to develop their creative-thinking skills, using the general themes of democracy and the importance of voting.

Bill Moyers, television commentator and former White House press secretary said, "The quality of democracy and the quality of journalism are deeply entwined."

That explains the name of this project: Informed Democracy 101.

The Mock  Election

The link between YCJN and the National Student/Parent Mock Election is strong.

One of our goals is to encourage young people to explore social and political issues confronting our nation during the months leading up to the 2010 Congressional and Senatorial election and the 2012 Presidential election.

All of this leads to the 2010 and 2012 Mock Elections and the voting participation of every student.

State Standards

All states include in their mandatory curriculum standards specific educational goals such as the ones YCJN embraces. Click here to read excerpts from one state's standards for teaching civics.

Because of the similarity of state-mandated educational mandates and the goals of YCJN, we hope teachers will feel comfortable encouraging middle school and high school students to participate in this national endeavor.

The websites and organizations listed in the right column of this page offer a wealth of information students can use as they develop essays, articles, videos, "tweets," and other vehicles of expression.

You may find the section on curriculum materials helpful.

There is no charge for students, teachers or schools to participate. YCNJ is funded by grants and is operated by volunteer professional journalists who share our views about democracy and the importance of voter education.

Technology

The main way for students to participate is to send us their comments, sometimes as short as one sentence. Students' comments may be linked to their own personal blogs or websites where they have posted articles and essays.

They are encouraged use their mobile phones and computers that are connected to a social network of their choice. That includes MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter, all of which host YCJN folders.

Also, they may post short videos to the YCJN folder on YouTube.

Civics Curriculum

NEW JERSEY STANDARD 6.2 (Civics) - All students will know, understand and appreciate the values and principles of American democracy and the rights, responsibilities, and roles of a citizen in the nation and the world.

Discuss how participation in civic and political life can contribute to the attainment of individual and public good.

Analyze how public opinion is measured and used in public debate (e.g., electronic polling, focus groups, Gallup polls, newspaper and television polls) and how public opinion can be influenced by the government and the media.

Discuss how citizens can participate in the political process at the local, state, or national level (e.g., registering to vote, voting, attending meetings, contacting a representative, demonstrating, petitions, boycotting) and analyze how these forms of political participation influence public policy.

Analyze the impact of communication networks and technology on global issues.

Analyze how the media present cultural stereotypes and images and discuss how this impacts beliefs and behaviors.