On Monday, July 25, the 2016 Democratic National Convention kicked off in Philadelphia, PA! Two 12-year-old Kid Reporters in the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps traveled to the “City of Brotherly Love” to go behind-the-scenes at the convention and watch as former secretary of state Hillary Clinton became the first woman in the United States to accept a major political party’s presidential nomination.
Throughout the week, Scholastic News Kid Reporters Adedayo Perkovich from Brooklyn, NY (pictured above), and Maxwell Surprenant from Needham, MA, listened to speeches by President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Chelsea Clinton, and many others expressing their support for the Democratic Party’s nominee. President Obama noted, “There has never been a man or a woman—not me, not Bill [Clinton], nobody—more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president of the United States of America.”
Inside the Wells Fargo Center, Adedayo and Maxwell talked to politicians, voters, and celebrities (including Joy Behar, co-host of The View!) about the presidential race and their hopes for the Democratic Party. “I hope that Clinton will lead America to higher heights and see that all of our young people get the best education,” John Lewis, civil rights leader, author, and Georgia Representative, told Adedayo.
The junior journalists also got tips from veteran journalists and political experts at the DNC, including Michael Steele, former chairman of the Republican National Committee, who told Maxwell, “Absorb everything that’s going on around you. Try to figure out who the people are who know what’s really going on—and ask them lots of questions.” Chris Hayes, host of All In With Chris Hayes on MSNBC, suggested getting information wherever it is available—including on the Internet, YouTube, and C-SPAN.
You can find Adedayo and Maxwell’s full stories from the DNC, here:
- A Kid’s View of the Democratic Convention by Maxwell Surprenant
- The Inside Scoop at the DNC by Maxwell Surprenant
- Clinton Makes History by Adedayo Perkovich
- Reporting Live from the Democratic Convention — Video by Adedayo Perkovich
And don’t miss these great interviews with Adedayo and Maxwell about their experiences at the convention:
- The Takeaway (WNYC): 12-Year-Old Journalists Share Their First Political Convention Experience
- Sinclair Broadcast Group: 'Kid reporters' take on the Democratic National Convention
What’s next? Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will go head-to-head in the general election on November 8. Follow the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps on Twitter (@KidsPress) as our Kid Reporters continue to cover the campaign trail!
[View the story "Scholastic News Kid Reporters Cover Democratic Convention" on Storify]
