New York, NY (December 8, 2003) -- Only 29 percent of young adults ages 18-24 turned out to vote in the 2000 Presidential election. To help spark an early interest in politics among today's young students and to educate America's future voters on the electoral process, Scholastic News, America's leading news source for kids, is launching wide-ranging coverage of the 2004 Presidential Election -- both online and in its classroom magazines -- that will continue through inauguration day, January 20, 2005.
 
Scholastic's election coverage at Scholastic News Online (www.scholastic.com/news ) and in Scholastic News (for students in grades 1-6), Junior Scholastic® (grades 6-8) and The New York Times UPFRONT® (grades 9-12) will feature breaking news and special reports on the candidates and the issues, as well as youth opinion polls and first-person student reporting -- all intended to educate students about the important issues facing their nation and to help them understand the responsibility to be well-informed and the privilege of becoming involved in the process of democracy.
 
In addition to Scholastic News' professional editors who will report on the 2004 Presidential Election, Scholastic's coverage will feature first person reporting from the Scholastic Kids Press Corps, a team of student reporters ages 10-14 who will cover the race to the White House from their hometowns across the country. The first major assignment for the Scholastic Kids Press Corps will be to interview the children of the Democratic candidates and find out why they think their parent should be the next President of the United States.
 
Throughout the campaign year, Scholastic kid reporters will conduct grassroots interviews with their local community leaders, school principals, and their teachers to learn about local issues and bring those concerns to the candidates. Under the tutelage of Scholastic News Online Editor Suzanne Freeman, kid reporters will also interview the candidates themselves and will cover the debates, caucuses and primaries in key states including Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, California, New York, Ohio and Florida, as well as reporting on the conventions, election day, and the inauguration of the next President.
 
“Through Scholastic Classroom Magazines' unique place in the classroom, our Election 2004 coverage will interest, inspire and excite our readers - tomorrow's voters - to think about and discuss how our country selects its President,” said Rebecca Bondor, Editor in Chief, Scholastic Classroom Magazines. “And unlike textbooks which have a long publishing cycle, Scholastic News Online and Scholastic Classroom Magazines can report on the Presidential Election as key events unfold and as history is made, providing students and teachers with up-to-date, educational and objective information about our country's political process.”
 
Scholastic's special coverage of the 2004 Presidential election will include:

• Scholastic Election 2004 Articles and Special Reports: Scholastic's news magazine and Scholastic News Online will feature ongoing coverage of the Presidential election throughout the next 14 months to keep students up-to-date on the candidates and the campaigns, and help teachers facilitate classroom discussions on the electoral process and the important issues facing the nation.
• Scholastic Election 2004 Polls: Online polls at Scholastic News Online will encourage students to weigh-in on the candidates and the important issues of the campaign. Mock primary and general elections will also give every student the opportunity to “vote” on the President. In the past, Scholastic readers have consistently picked the winning candidate in every mock election but one (when students chose Richard Nixon for President in 1960). The mock primary poll recently launched and will remain online through the end of April.
• Scholastic Election 2004 Timelines, Maps and Activities: At Scholastic News Online, students, teachers and parents will find a fun and engaging way to learn about the electoral process. Kids can draft a mock campaign speech through the “Writing with Writers” feature or they can participate in the “If You Were President” game, which asks students to pick their top advisors, balance the budget, and answer reporters' questions about their first few days on the job as President. Teachers and parents can also send students on a virtual scavenger hunt to learn about each candidate's qualifications and platform.

 
Scholastic is the largest publisher of educational magazines with 34 publications for grades PreK-12, reaching over 25 million students and teachers across the country. Teachers rely on these publications to enhance instruction in such subjects as science, reading and language arts, math, social studies, current events, history, geography, world languages, and art. Scholastic News Online (www.scholastic.com/news ), the magazines' online companion gives teachers, students and parents an additional resource with which to learn about and discuss current events in the classroom and at home.
 
Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children's books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs, school-based book fairs, school-based and direct-to-home continuity programs; retail stores, schools, libraries, and television networks; and the Company's Internet Site, www.scholastic.com.

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