New York, NY — August 19, 2008 — Scholastic News®, America’s leading news source for kids, announces a host of new features on its popular Election 2008 Web site, www.scholastic.com/election2008. The site allows kids, parents and teachers to explore the electoral process, and complements the robust election coverage of Scholastic News (for students in grades 1-6) and Junior Scholastic® (grades 6-8). Classroom Magazines have a combined reach of more than 25 million students and teachers annually.

"With all eyes on this historic presidential election, and a vast array of news and commentary available, students, parents and teachers need a reliable place to go for information they trust," said Rebecca Bondor, Editor-in-Chief, Scholastic Classroom Magazines. "Scholastic is the trusted source for 2008 election news for kids."

The newly revamped Web site presents information about the presidential elections in a fun and compelling way. Through new interactive election games, students can campaign for the nation's highest office, balance the budget, design their own election posters, and decide how they would run the country if they were President.

While students explore everything from campaigning to the inauguration, teachers can use free lesson plans to expand their students’ "election skills." Free lesson plans include such topics as media literacy, how to watch a debate, how to track the election results, and how to use blogs in the classroom. Election games, like "Who am I?" based on the platforms of each candidate, also come with lesson plans for teachers to use in the classroom.

Kids Vote! One special feature of the Web site is the famous Scholastic Presidential Election Poll, an opportunity for students to cast their vote for President of the United States. Since 1940, the outcome of the Scholastic Election Poll mirrored the outcome of the general election, in every election but two (in 1948 when students chose Thomas E. Dewey over Harry S. Truman and in 1960 when more students voted for Richard M. Nixon than John F. Kennedy). In 2004, more than half a million students in first through eighth grades participated in the election poll both online and with paper ballots that were issued in the fall editions of their Scholastic classroom magazines.

Scholastic Kid Reporters Get the Scoop Scholastic.com/election2008 will continue to feature election coverage from the Scholastic Kids Press Corps, student reporters ages 10-14, who have been covering campaign events from their hometowns across the country since last spring. In the past 15 months, Scholastic Kid Reporters have interviewed and written stories about John McCain, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Mitt Romney, John Edwards, Mike Huckabee, Bill Richardson, Rudy Giuliani, Joseph Biden, Fred Thompson, Dennis Kucinich, Ralph Nader, Michelle Obama, Bill Clinton, Elizabeth Edwards, Bridget McCain, Cate Edwards, and Jason Rae the country’s youngest superdelegate, just to name a few!

The Scholastic Kids Press Corps will be reporting from the Democratic and Republican National Conventions and all along the campaign trail. Read their stories and election blog at www.scholastic.com/election2008, or follow them on Twitter (ScholasticNews)!

Scholastic’s award-winning editors teach the Kid Reporters how to research, prepare questions, conduct interviews and write articles. In addition to the election Web site, Kid Reporters’ articles appear at Scholastic News Online (www.scholastic.com/election2008) and in Scholastic News and Junior Scholastic magazines.

For more information about Scholastic News, Scholastic Kids Press Corps and the Scholastic Presidential Election Poll, visit www.scholastic.com/election2008.

Contact:
Scholastic Inc.
Jennifer Boggs
212.343.6619
jboggs@scholastic.com

Scholastic Inc.
Sarah Trabucchi
212.343.6424
strabucchi@scholastic.com