Celebration at Mount Rushmore

October 4, 2012 Affiliate News, Ballot Box Bulletin, Kids Voting South Dakota 0 Comments

Nearly 600 fourth and fifth graders from around the Black Hills

to took part in the Chiesman Center’s Kids Voting South Dakota

(KVSD) 8th Bi-Annual kickoff celebration on Thursday, September 20 at

Mount Rushmore National Memorial Amphitheater.

The keynote speaker, South Dakota Secretary of State Jason Gant,

stressed the importance of voting and being active participants in our

electoral process. Those attending also listened to local entertainer, Gordy

Pratt, the Original Fabulous One Guy, engaging students in songs he

wrote about democracy and voting and a performance from Rural America

Initiative’s Ateyapi Drum Group.

Celebrating 20 years, KVSD has been providing year-round K-12

civic education programs for school districts and communities around the

state since 1992, focusing on the voting process, citizenship, and civic responsibility.

KVSD believes that active citizenship and civic engagement

begins, not ends, when ballots are cast. Kindergarten through twelfth

grade students from school districts throughout South Dakota will cast

votes on November 6th through Kids Voting South Dakota.