About the Project

Project Goals

To actively involve young people in current events and issues of local, regional, state and national importance.
To prepare young people for participation in recorded Student Town Meeting discussions with community experts, broadcast on public radio.
To provide young people with an opportunity to share their views and opinions with peers, community members and the public radio listening audience.

Project Objectives

Young people participating in WAMC Northeast Public Radio’s Student Town Meetings:

Explore civic, social and political issues of local, state, national and global importance
Discuss and select topics and issues
Consider various perspectives of selected issues
Connect current events to wider frames of reference
Construct focused research questions to guide their investigation
Identify potential panelists and community experts
Analyze text and visual media for information
Work directly with WAMC personnel in the classroom and studio
Formulate and express their own personal viewpoints
Write, revise and polish personal position papers
Develop effective questioning techniques
Debate and interact with community members recognized as specialists in various fields
Effectively apply literacy skills to media and technology messages
Achieve a higher awareness and commitment to civic affairs
Use social studies and language arts knowledge and skills in a real-world production
Become familiar with public radio programming
Educate the listening audience

For participating educators, WAMC Student Town Meetings:

Support local and state learning standards
Reinforce research, pre-writing and writing skills
Offer an interdisciplinary approach to learning
Produce materials and recommend resources for use with young people
Establish partnerships between public educational programs and media organizations
Create an alternative, authentic instructional model
Provide professional development

The project provides instruction and application of the following skills: