Durbin: Mikva Challenge Students to be Part of Historic Inauguration

Press Release

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that he has reserved more than two dozen Presidential Inauguration tickets for the Mikva Challenge organization which plans to send twenty-six high school students to Washington, DC for President-elect Barack Obama's historic swearing-in ceremony.

"Dedicated to the proposition that students learn civics best when they are actively engaged in democratic activities inside and outside the classroom, the Mikva Challenge has helped high school students throughout Chicago become active participants in the political process," said Durbin. "These young men and women - representing a wide spectrum of political views - have volunteered for local, state and national elections all across the country. Many of these students may become our state's future leaders and I am proud to offer them the opportunity to witness this historic inauguration."

The Mikva Challenge works with over 4,500 students from 72 schools across the Chicago area. The students travelling to Washington, DC were chosen based on an essay contest and their participation in campaign events across the country. Students throughout the organization were deeply involved in the political process this year by participating in local campaigns, travelling to the Iowa Caucuses and the New Hampshire primaries and volunteering in the swings states of Wisconsin and Indiana.

"Young people were extremely excited about the Presidential election this year, and the Mikva program put these talented youth at the center of the electoral process in swing states and early primaries," said Mikva Challenge Executive Director Brian Brady. "It is a great honor and privilege for these future leaders to have the chance to witness this historic inauguration, and the Mikva Challenge is extremely grateful to Senator Durbin for this opportunity," said Brady.

The Mikva Challenge is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that promotes civic engagement in Chicago high schools. Founded in 1997 as a tribute to former White House Counsel, Judge and U.S. Congressman Abner Mikva and his wife Zoe, a lifelong education activist, the organization's work is focused on helping youth take political action now in order to develop the next generation of civic leaders. Since 2000, Mikva Challenge programs have helped over 10,000 students get involved in elections, activism or policymaking.

Each U.S. Senate Office has been allotted 393 tickets to the Presidential swearing-in ceremony on January 20th, 2009. To date, Durbin's office has received requests for over 20,000 tickets. Each request has been reviewed and tickets will be distributed with the goal of making sure Illinoisans from all parts of the state and all walks of life are given the chance to witness this historic event. Over the next four weeks, Senator Durbin will be announcing several Illinois groups and individuals who have been selected to receive inauguration tickets.

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