Fifth Graders Pose Questions to Governor Shapiro in Youth Town Hall
April 26, 2023
Two PA Cyber fifth graders participated in the Rendell Center’s Youth Town Hall on Tuesday, April 18. Governor Josh Shapiro responded to questions from fourth- and fifth-grade students from eight schools in the live-streamed event. Roughly 150 classrooms logged in to watch the town hall.
PA Cyber students Carter and Georgia from Mrs. Newell’s fifth-grade social studies class asked Governor Shapiro about the extracurricular activities he participated in when he was a student and how he developed leadership skills.
“I was very nervous, but I was privileged to be able to speak to the governor and ask my question,” said fifth-grader Georgia. “It was interesting to hear his answers to the other questions as well and to learn more about him, not just as a governor but as a person.”
The Rendell Center received more than 100 questions for the April town hall, and PA Cyber was the only school selected to ask two questions. Some of the questions that students from other schools asked pertained to the governor’s plans to protect students from violence and his plans to advance classroom technology. He invited students to continue the conversation by sending their ideas to him. He also encouraged students to challenge their teachers and to keep asking questions.
Mrs. Newell pointed out that the town hall gave a voice to students in district public schools, private schools, and, of course, PA Cyber. “Pennsylvania parents are fortunate to have the freedom to choose the best educational setting for each child,” she said. “At PA Cyber, we appreciate the governor’s understanding of the uniqueness of each family and his focus on preserving choice in education.”
Former Governor Ed Rendell and Judge Marjorie Rendell started The Rendell Center for Civics and Civics Engagement in 2014. The former governor said he hoped that students will consider careers in government. “If you don’t participate,” he said, “things aren’t going to change.”
Watch the recording of the town hall.
Media Contact
Jennie Harris / jennie.harris@pacyber.org
About PA Cyber
Serving students in kindergarten through 12th grade, the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School (PA Cyber) is one of the largest, most experienced, and most successful online public schools in the nation. PA Cyber's online learning environments, personalized instruction methods, and choices of curricula connect Pennsylvania students and their families with state-certified and highly qualified teachers and rich academic content that is aligned with state standards. Founded in 2000, PA Cyber is headquartered in Midland (Beaver County) and maintains a network of support offices throughout the state. As a public school, PA Cyber is open for enrollment by any school-age child residing in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and does not charge tuition to students or families.