Wheaton Warrenville South students take their questions to local candidates
WHEATON, Ill. (CBS) – Local elections usually only garner a fraction of the turnout you would find in a presidential election cycle and young voters have historically been underrepresented.
But in DuPage County on Thursday, there was an effort to change both trends. CBS 2's Sara Machi showed how they're getting high schools to drive the democratic process.
Gathering around tables in the library at Wheaton Warrenville South High School, about two dozen journalism students were interviewing candidates for local office.
"What is the biggest challenge you think the Warrenville community faces?" asked one student.
Working with the League of Women Voters, they've researched and written questions for videos that will be available to the public. These teens are hoping to boost local turnout numbers that were lower than expected.
"I think initially, it was surprising, you know?" said Kate Gronlund, a senior at Wheaton Warrenville South. "It's where we live and so it's impactful in our community lives."
Working in teams, the students record candidates' answers, taking notes and watching the time limit, learning with each new task.
Machi: "How much did you know about with the park district?"
Hunter Hecklinger, senior: "Not a lot. I grew up in Warrenville and I never really knew much about my City Council or anything like that."
It's the third time the League of Women Voters has worked with students to create these profiles, and they said the videos get more clicks than recordings of traditional, longform forums.
Machi: "And I can say lots of great questions. You must be very proud of them.
Grace Day, teacher: "Oh, so proud of them. We've been preparing for weeks. Not only for taking this responsibility on, but also taking on the responsibility of informing the community. So it's really awesome."
"Could you expand on some of the challenges in doing that?" another student asked.
As they wrapped up their interviews, students said they'd recommend the experience to friends.
"For sure, for sure," said Gronlund. "I love this class."
And they hope people will watch their work.