Contact: Kristen Joerger, 212-389-3343, kjoerger@scholastic.com

New York, NY — August 22, 2012 — Members of the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps, a team of student reporters ages 10-14 from across the country, will report from the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida (August 27-30), and the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina (September 3-6). Their coverage will appear on Scholastic’s 2012 Election site.

Reporting from the Republican National Convention will be Kid Reporters Shelby Fallin, 14, of Lakeland, Florida, and Topanga Sena, 11, of Orlando, Florida. Shelby is a veteran Kid Reporter who started reporting during the 2008 Presidential Election. Topanga joined the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps in 2010, and last year conducted an exclusive interview at the White House with President Barack Obama, along with a fellow Kid Reporter.

The Democratic National Convention will be covered by Kid Reporter Andrew Liang, 13, of Atlanta, Georgia. Andrew has covered many issues for the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps, including education, the economy, and disaster relief during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

The Scholastic News Kid Reporters have covered the 2012 Presidential Election since last spring, reporting on campaign events in their hometowns and interviewing candidates, campaign surrogates and voters. Recent Kid Reporter interviews include South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, and Florida Senator Marco Rubio. Early 2012 Election interviews included Republican candidates Herman Cain, Rick Santorum, Jon Huntsman, Ron Paul, and Rick Perry.

Follow the Kid Reporters during the conventions on Twitter @KidsPress, and read their reports at www.scholastic.com/election, a free resource for kids that also features fun election-themed games, an interactive Electoral College map, and useful background information on the conventions and the democratic process. Also on the site, kids can participate in the Scholastic Student Vote, a mock Presidential election that has been held during every election since 1940.

For more information on the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps, visit the media room.