“I wish that whoever is elected leads our country with courage, integrity, and intelligence. And that any challenge thrown at our country will be resolved in the manner in which our Founding Fathers established for our country.”

This is the wish Laser Frederick, a student at St. Agnes School, shared for our country at the Kids Voting Kick Off Ceremony at the end of October.

Since its inception in 1996, students in Chester County have accurately predicted the presidential winners through Kids Voting USA. The winning streak ended this year, however, with students aligning their presidential pick with the voters of Chester County and nominating Hillary Clinton as the winner, which did not reflect the national outcome.

The votes have all been tallied, and for the first time in six elections, Chester County students from 41 schools have inaccurately predicted the outcome of the presidential race. Fifty-six percent of the Student Vote went to Hillary Clinton. Thirty-two percent of students cast their ballot for Donald Trump; and Libertarian Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein received six percent and five percent of the student vote, respectively.

According to Jennifer Shealy, the special events coordinator for the Chester County Intermediate Unit, students, as part of the project, studied the candidates and issues of the campaign leading up to Election Day.

“In addition to classroom preparation, parents were encouraged to spend time with their children discussing candidates and issues, as well as gather information from media outlets,” said Shealy. “After the research portion of the project was complete, students took part in a voting experience using a ballot that mirrors that of the actual election ballot with the same candidates and issues.”

Each of the participating schools had the ability to take varying approaches to integrating the Kids Voting project into their school.

Chester County students were invited to vote online for their federal, state, and local candidates from Nov. 1-8. The purpose of this “practice” voting is to dispel the mysteries of the voting process and reinforce the knowledge and skills gained through Kids Voting classroom activities.

“Kids Voting provides students the opportunity to be involved with and understand the voting process a bit more,” said Shealy. “Some parents take their children to the voting booth with them, which is a wonderful way to model citizenship. Having the opportunity to vote in school provides the experience for all children.”

To kick off the project, which is coordinated by the CCIU, a Kids Voting Kick Off Ceremony took place in October at the Chester County Historic Courthouse in West Chester.

The ceremony included student testimonials on the meaning of democracy, a mock voter registration for students, and a “wish for the future” ceremony during which students share their hopes for the country. Students also heard words from the Honorable Ryan Costello, U.S. House of Representatives, and Chester County Commissioner Kathi Cozzone.

Costello offered wisdom to the students, saying, “No matter what issue you prioritize when voting, and even if your side does not win, our freedom to express our opinions through exercising our right to vote is always worth practicing.”

Click here to watch a video of the ceremony.