Kid Convention

Come Join the KID CONVENTION
Saturday, October 29
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Poster-making activities
10:15 a.m. Future Senator program
11:30 a.m. What Makes a Good Leader? Live, thirty-minute program for kids in the Institute's U.S. Senate Chamber
1:30 p.m. What Makes a Good Leader? Live, thirty-minute program for kids in the Institute's U.S. Senate Chamber
Admission is free for kids and caregivers participating in the Kid Convention program. Recommended for children ages 5 and up.
Future Senator. The Future Senator program introduces 5 through 11 year-old visitors to the legislative process. Featuring a segment from PBS’s Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman, the program introduces young people to an issue relevant to them: whether the United States government should require a longer school day. The program concludes with a vote in the Senate Chamber.

What Makes a Good Leader? program. Kids: It’s your turn to choose the ideal candidates for President. What issues should they focus on? How should they work with others? It’s up to you. Working together in teams with staff in the Institute’s Senate Chamber, kids will talk about what makes a good leader. The kids will see their ideas come to life, as Institute staff become the candidates the kids envisioned and debate each other on the issues. Kids and adults will get a chance to vote for the candidate that best fits their ideals of good leadership.

Poster-making. Throughout the day, young people will have the opportunity to create a poster to support their ideal candidate or an issue that is important to them. Perhaps some kids might even consider their own run for office. Young people are invited to come and get creative, and lend their voices to the conversation about what makes a good leader. The completed posters will be displayed at the Institute in an exhibition alongside a selection of kid-created posters from schools and the Institute's Poster Project Workshop on Saturday, October 1. Free snacks and refreshments will be provided in the poster-making area.

The Edward M. Kennedy Institute is able to offer this program at no cost to families, thanks to the generous support of the Howard and Michele Kessler Family Foundation.
About the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate
The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate is dedicated to educating the public about the important role of the Senate in our government, encouraging participatory democracy, invigorating civil discourse, and inspiring the next generation of citizens and leaders to engage in the civic life of their communities.