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March 6, 2008

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Secretary Of State Jesse White Welcomes Students To The 9th Annual Capitol Forum On America’s Future

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced that all Driver Services Facilities are open for business today.

Springfield—Secretary of State Jesse White and the Illinois Humanities Council will welcome approximately 140 Illinois high school students to the State Capitol on Thursday and Friday to participate in Illinois’ Capitol Forum on America’s Future.

The Capitol Forum is a civic education program that challenges young people to learn about and discuss important issues that impact America’s future.

The program has been highlighted nationally with articles appearing in the New York Times and coverage by CNN for its efforts to bring debate to the classroom and educate students about current United States foreign policy issues.

“Illinois has participated in this program since the beginning.” said White. “As the future leaders of this country, students need challenging programs such as the Capitol Forum to provide them with the opportunity to debate other students on the many facets of United States foreign policy.”

The Capitol Forum curriculum is coordinated nationally by the Choices for the 21st Century Education Project, a program of the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University, and partially funded through a grant given by the McCormick Tribune Foundation.

"This is a great opportunity for students to get together and talk with their peers about our government and United States foreign policy. These can be difficult issues to discuss but the Capitol Forum gets students involved in the process,” said Kristina Valaitis, Executive Director of the Illinois Humanities Council, co-sponsor of the Illinois Capitol Forum Program. “We need more opportunities like this for our high schools.”

Schools participating in the Capitol Forum this year include: Alden-Hebron High School, Alden; Astoria High School, Astoria; Bureau Valley High School, Manlius; Carl Schurz High School, Chicago; Carmel Catholic High School, Chicago; East Peoria Community High School, East Peoria; Eureka High School, Eureka; Farragut Career Academy, Chicago; Geneva High School, Geneva; Homewood-Flossmoor High School, Flossmoor; Lockport Township High School, Lockport; Maine East High School, Park Ridge; Maine South High School, Park Ridge; Newark High School, Newark; Normal Community West High School, Normal; Pontiac Township High School, Pontiac; Quincy Junior High School, Quincy; SIU-East St. Louis Charter School, East St. Louis; and Streamwood High School, Streamwood.