Youth Led Candidate Forums
Youth‐Led Forum Raises Tough Community Issues while Seeking Answers from Candidates for Ingham County Prosecutor, Sheriff, House
The Ingham County Circuit Court, Peckham, Inc., and Michigan’s Children hosted one of the most unique youth-led candidate forums so far on Oct. 18, 2016 in Lansing with court-ordered youth enrolled at Ingham Academy, a day treatment and high school program, stood before candidates for the top law enforcement and prosecutorial jobs in the county and pressed for remedies to keep other kids out of trouble. In attendance were Republican Billie Jo O’Berry and Democrat Carol Siemon for prosecutor, Republican Erik Trojanowicz and Democrat Scott Wrigglesworth for sheriff. State Rep. Tom Cochran, D-District 67, was the sole state House candidate attending, 
though all office-seekers for House Districts 67, 68 and 69 were invited. The program attracted over 100 audience members, community representatives and court officers. Dustin Dwyer from Michigan Radio moderated the event.
Read the Press Release
Read more about what happened at the forum.
See some pictures from the forum.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Students from Alternative, Adult Ed Programs Shine While Raising Questions About Their Education with Candidates for Congress, State House
Michigan’s Children sponsored another youth-led candidate forum in Boyne Falls, MI during the annual gathering of the Michigan Association of Community and Adult Education (MACAE.) Students from alternative and adult education programs raised questions illustrating the challenges they face in their lives, and the benefits to the second- and third-chance educational programs supporting them. Students from an alternative high school in Houghton Lake and an adult education program in Charlevoix and Emmet counties provided the questions and insight. First District Congressional Candidate Lon Johnson, a democrat, participated along with incumbent 
state Rep. Triston Cole, a republican, and his democratic challenger, Wyatt Knight. All candidates running for Michigan Congressional districts 1 and 4; and Michigan House districts 101, 103, 104, 105 and 107 were invited.
Read the Press Release
Read more about what happened at the forum.
See some pictures from the forum.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Detroit Youth Ask the Tough Questions at Candidate Forum
for Democrats in Primary House Races
The Sandbox Party’s first candidate forum of the 2016 campaign season took place at The Children’s Center in Detroit on July 7th with youth, as young as 14, engaging state House hopefuls. Their questions focused on a variety of topical issues, including race and discrimination, community and police relations, housing and unemployment, the state of education and Detroit Schools, and more.
See the complete story.
Michigan’s Children’s MSW intern Briana Coleman offers her perceptions of the Youth-Led Candidate Forum in Detroit in this personal blog, Youth’s Questions Spark Dialogue on Policy solutions at Detroit Candidate Forum.