MTV News' Sway Calloway and ED in '08 Give Iowa's First Time Voters a Voice

MTV News' Sway Calloway and ED in '08 Give Iowa's First Time Voters a Voice

Student roundtable discussion focuses on the need for presidential leadership on education reform

DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Officials from the ED in '08 campaign and MTV News Correspondent Sway Calloway today held a roundtable discussion with students who will be first-time voters from Des Moines North High School. The gathering discussed how they are affected by the nation's drop-out epidemic and shared ideas about what the next president can do to raise student achievement. Content from the roundtable will be readily available on www.think.MTV.com or at www.EDin08.com

"With the caucuses quickly approaching, young voters here in Iowa and across the country are looking for presidential candidates who are willing to take action to ensure that we graduate from college and high school with the skills to succeed in a global economy, said Abby Bowman, a recent graduate from Des Moines public schools who serves as spokesperson for ED in 08. "Currently, students in other countries are excelling and improving faster than students in the United States and have an advantage in obtaining the best jobs of the 21st century. That is why it's so important for us to be here today, joining with other first time voters in asking the presidential candidates how they plan to reform America's public schools. We care about our futures, and the candidates need to show us that they do as well."

"Schools are working with students to give them the skills they need for life after high school," said Dr. Vincent Lewis, the principal of Des Moines North High School. "But, we need national leadership on education reform."

ED in '08 is a national, nonpartisan campaign supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation that calls on all the presidential candidates to reform America's public schools.

MTV has been committed to amplifying the youth voice for over 25 years, most recently through its Think community located at http://www.think.mtv.com/ -- an effort to engage, educate, and encourage young people to take action on some of the biggest challenges facing their generation. Think and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently launched an ongoing effort to use MTV's reach and credibility with young people to provide them the tools, resources and media platform to graduate from high school prepared for college, career and life.

Strong American Schools, a project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, is a nonpartisan campaign supported by The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation promoting sound education policies for all Americans. SAS does not support or oppose any candidate for public office and does not take positions on legislation.

thinkMTV is the umbrella for the network's on-air, off-air and online "pro-social" campaigns that engage, educate and encourage young people to take action on some of the biggest challenges facing their generation, including the Break the Addiction campaign on global warming, the Choose or Lose campaign on the presidential election, and ongoing efforts with the Kaiser Family Foundation on sexual health and HIV/AIDS. thinkMTV and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have also joined in an ongoing effort aimed at using MTV's reach and credibility with young people, particularly low-income and minority youth, to provide them the tools, resources and media platform to graduate from high school prepared for college, career and life. The campaign consists of long-form documentaries such as the Dropout Chronicles and Think Over Your School, PSAs featuring high school students talking candidly about their aspirations for college and beyond; MTV News reports on young people and their educational aspirations; and online tools at http://think.mtv.com/ , including resources to prepare themselves for graduation, college, and the workplace.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: ED in '08

CONTACT: Angela Landers of ED in '08, +1-202-306-7568 (cell),
Angela.Landers@StrongAmericanSchools.org

Web Site:

http://www.edin08.com/
http://www.think.mtv.com/

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