“In every child who is born, under no matter what circumstances, and no matter what parents, the potentiality of the human race is born again.”

James Agee - American Writer

We believe that all parties must be invited and represented in the “dialogue of democracy”. A voice that is frequently absent from the public discourse, is the voice of our youth. Many adults offer the cliché that “children are our future” and in the same breath often discount or dismiss the perspective or thoughts of children, adolescents and young adults.

So the “Voices of Our Future: a Student's View” byline is to provide our youth with an avenue to have a voice in our democracy and have an avenue in which to be heard.

Local students of all ages (from grade school, high school and college) are encouraged to submit articles for this byline. These submissions from our youth can include, but are not limited to, their views on: their role in a participatory democracy, the state of the country, the future of the country and the world, commentary on social issues that are important to them, and oral histories or personal interviews of a respected elder in their family.

Please adhere to the General Submission Guidelines when submitting an article. Submissions that do not follow those guidelines cannot be considered for publication In the near future we will be offering “writing workshops” for prospective citizen-journalists. Check back on the website for times, dates, and locations for these workshops.

For Teachers: If you are a teacher who is interested in making this an assignment for your students, please do not hesitate to contact us if we can provide further assistance. We would happily provide a “writing workshop” just for you and your class(es) for this byline or other bylines included in the Appalachian Independent. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it