Texas teens present solutions to civic leaders
Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Participation's Speak Up! Speak Out! event takes place May 17
AUSTIN, Texas – May 9, 2012 – High school students from five Dallas high schools will showcase their semester-long research on community problems and present solutions to civic leaders. Presentations will take place from 3:30 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, May 17 at the Naveen Jindal School of Management on The University of Texas at Dallas campus, 800 W. Campbell Rd., Richardson, TX. Registration takes place in the main atrium.
The presentations are part of the Speak Up! Speak Out! Civics Fair, organized by the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Participation at The University of Texas at Austin College of Communication. The Civics Fair is the Speak Up! Speak Out! program's culminating event, where students compete for cash prizes to implement their solutions.
Students will present ideas for reducing truancy, helping low-income families access fresh, nutritious foods, addressing obesity and increasing safety in and around school grounds.
Past topics have included a range of issues, such as teen pregnancy, urban business development, water quality and bullying. The Speak Up! Speak Out! Civics Fair has a nine-year history in Texas.
Students from A. Maceo Smith New Tech High School, Irving High School, Naaman Forest High School, R.L. Turner High School and Trini Garza Early College High School will participate, along with the Austin's Garza Independence High School students. Teams from Collegiate High School at Corpus Christi's Del Mar College will participate via videoconference.
About The Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Participation
The Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Participation was established as an organized research unit at the University of Texas at Austin in 2000 to respond to growing political cynicism and disaffection in the United States. The Institute's mission is strictly non-partisan, working within communities to engage people in the political process, teaching them about the nation’s democratic heritage and encouraging them to take leadership roles.
About The University of Texas at Austin College of Communication
One of the nation's foremost institutions for the study of advertising and public relations, communication sciences and disorders, communication studies, journalism and radio-TV-film, The University of Texas at Austin College of Communication is preparing students to thrive in the era of media convergence. Serving more than 4,500 undergraduate and graduate students, the College is nationally recognized for its faculty members, research and student media. For more information about the College of Communication, visit http://communication.utexas.edu.
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CONTACT: Laura Byerley, (512) 471-2182 or Sinda Nichols, (512) 471-7142 or (734) 476-6567.
