In this kid-focused podcast, First Focus on Children teams up with the National Children’s Museum to talk about how democratic processes like the Census and voting impact kids — even though they can’t participate themselves.
“Voting decides everything in this country – how much money is spent on your schools, how much money goes to roads,” First Focus president Bruce Lesley tells STEAM Daydream host A.J. Calbert. “It’s really important that young people learn about voting and that as soon as they’re able to vote, they vote. But it’s also important for them to be aware of those things so they can actually talk to their parents about issues that are important to them so their parents will reflect their needs.”
Kids vote all the time, whether it’s to play kickball or tag at recess, or whether the family should have ice cream or chocolate for dessert. With help from kids who call in, Bruce explains how kids can make their voices heard, even before they’re eligible to vote.
Bob Groves, former director of the U.S. Census Bureau, joins the episode to explain that it’s important for kids to be counted in the upcoming 2020 Census so that we have information on issues like how many new schools we need to build and where to build them.
Learn more about the STEAM Daydream “Data Discovery and Democracy” podcast here.