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e e . Kids Voting Minnesota History . Mission: To foster active, engaged, and well-informed citizens, by working with local schools and communities to create positive civic experiences for youth, including the opportunity to learn about and vote in public elections. History: 1988 - three Arizona businessmen went to Costa Rica on a fishing trip. While there, they learned voter turnout was routinely between 80 and 90 percent in Costa Rica - attributed to a tradition . of children going to the polls with their parents, The three returned to Arizona and launched a highly successful Kids Voting pilot prograrn in 1988 fashioned after the Costa Rican tradition. 1992 - Kids Voting USA launched its first national election program with] 1 states pioneering the way to boost adult voter turnout by teaching our youth the importance of sustaining democracy. 1994 - The Kids Voting Minnesota project was launched in Duluth through the support of Minnesota Power, with over 6,000 students, K-l2, voting. 1996 - Kids Voting Minnesota expands regionally for the November election. This includes nine new communities and over 30,000 students. Kids Voting is now.in Brainerd. Cotton. Duluth. Esko. Hermantown. Mt. Iron. Osakis, Proctor. Remer. and Virginia. 1996 -Kids Voting USA programs are started in 40 states, reaching 5,000,000 students, 1998 -Two more communities are added (Cloquet and Alexandria), 32,000 students are involved. Kids Voting Minnesota attempts to sponsor a first: a student run statewide gubernatorial debate at the Mall bf America. Due to the political climate, it gets canceled. 1999 -Kids Voting Minnesota hosts a youth oriented inaugural forum for Reform Party victor lesse Ventura at the Mall of America. Kids Voting Minnesota begins to implement plans for expansion into the Twin Cities. A new Kids Voting Minnesota program is initiated in Prior Lake School District. Kids Voting Minnesota wins national recognition of its program in Virginia, MN where 71 % of the students voted and 78% of the adults voted in the 1998 elections. 2000- Minnesota Vikings Dennis Green and Mitch Berger tearn up with Governor lesse Ventura to tape a new PSA "adding muscle to Minnesota democracy," Governor lesse Ventura, Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer, St, Paul Mayor Norm Coleman, and St. Paul School Superintendent Patricia Harvey join 500 kids in a Kids Voting Kickoff Rally on the steps of the state capitol. Atwater/Grove City. Carlton. Hastings. Hopkins. Moorhead. Pine City. and St. Paul are added to the list of Kids Voting Minnesota cities. Over 108,000 students are taught Kids V otinglessons through the efforts of 3500 teachers. Almost 2000 volunteers helped staff 316 polling places and count 35,000 ballots on Election Day. Kids Voting USA receives the "Outstanding Organization A ward" from the National Community Education Association. 2001- The Blandin Foundation awards Kids Voting Minnesota a $90,000, three year grant to target rural Minnesota communities. A partnership is formed with the Minnesota Secretary of State's Office to get 16 and 17 year old students involved in elections.