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Workshop Encourages Young Women to Consider Politics

More than a dozen past and present elected officials will share advice with high school students.

More than a dozen past and present elected officials will share advice with high school students.

OMAHA – On Wednesday, Oct. 28, young women from area high schools will head to the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) to meet with past and present female elected officials, learning what it takes to be elected.

The non-partisan workshop, called Running and Winning, is a partnership between the League of Women Voters and UNO.

The workshop aims to introduce young women to the political process and possibly encourage them to run for office one day. This is the fifth year this free, interactive P-16 service learning project will be held on the UNO Campus.

Schools throughout the Omaha metropolitan area were invited to participate. Nearly 55 young women from Benson, Omaha Central and Bellevue East High Schools will be attending this year’s program.

The event will begin with the students interviewing elected officials about life in politics, education and professional experiences. After the interviews, students will work in small groups to produce their own mock political campaigns, including speeches and campaign slogans. Teams will then present on a public policy issue currently being addressed in Nebraska.

Throughout the fall semester, students have been working on this event in a Public Speaking service learning course offered by the School of Communication, in the College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media. UNO students have been responsible for preparing policy issue briefs and event logistics, and will be coaching the high school students on their mock campaign speeches at the workshop.

The partnership is part of the UNO P-16 Initiative. As part of UNO’s Service Learning Academy, the P-16 Initiative facilitates partnerships between three key groups:

- UNO students and their teachers

- Preschool-through-high school students and their teachers

- Community organizations and their members

Through these service-learning partnerships, P-16 brings the classroom into the community through application of education to find solutions to real-life problems.

While Running and Winning is closed to the public, media are welcome to attend. The workshop will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015 at the UNO Thompson Alumni Center, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

For questions or media requests, please contact:

Sam Petto, UNO Media Relations Coordinator
unonews@unomaha.edu
402.554.2704

Related Links:

Learn More About UNO's Service Learning Academy

Learn More About UNO's School of Communication

P-16 Project Promotes Importance of Reading

About the University of Nebraska at Omaha


Located in one of America’s best cities to live, work and learn, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is Nebraska’s premier metropolitan university. With more than 15,000 students enrolled in 200-plus programs of study, UNO is recognized nationally for its online education, graduate education, military friendliness and community engagement efforts. Founded in 1908, UNO has served learners of all backgrounds for more than 100 years and is dedicated to another century of excellence both in the classroom and in the community.

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