Dear high schoolers,
This year is likely to become a significant chapter in our history. The United States faces its first presidential election since 2020, which culminated in the first non-peaceful transfer of power since the Civil War. In November, American citizens will once again cast their votes, and the two leading candidates are the same ones from four years ago.
Wars in Ukraine and Gaza have caused worsening humanitarian crises and have been threatening broader regional conflicts. January was the eighth month in a row with the warmest average temperatures for that time of year. And if the last presidential election is any indication, this election’s aftermath may be as eventful as the voting itself.
Inside your classrooms, history is being taught at the very moment it’s being made.
Since this could be the first election you’ll have a chance to vote in, we’re eager to know how important this moment feels to you and your friends. Are you closely following the election? Or are you less engaged? Do you consider the election important? Or not so much?
The New York Times’s Headway team and Chalkbeat, a nonprofit news organization that covers education in several American communities, want to hear directly from you. Take a moment to complete our questionnaire below, and we’ll be in touch with you soon.
Please fill out this form only if you are 14 or older. If you are between the ages of 14 and 17, a reporter will ask to get in touch with your parent or guardian before talking with you further.
The Headway initiative is funded through grants from the Ford Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), with Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors serving as a fiscal sponsor. The Woodcock Foundation is a funder of Headway’s public square. Funders have no control over the selection, focus of stories or the editing process and do not review stories before publication. The Times retains full editorial control of the Headway initiative.
