The first presidential debate of 2012 will take place right here in Denver—at the University of Denver—on Wednesday, Oct. 3. To celebrate the occasion, Children’s Hospital Colorado will host a presidential debate watch party—designed specially for teens!

The evening will also include games before and during the debate, along with plenty of food and refreshments. Specific details are included below.

Who: Teens and their parents, teachers, mentors, etc. Teens under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
What: Teen-focused presidential debate watch party
When: Wednesday, Oct. 3, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Where: Mt. Oxford Auditorium, 2nd floor Conference Center, Children’s Hospital Colorado (13123 E. 16th Ave., Aurora, CO 80045)

A nonpartisan event, the debate watch party will give teens an opportunity to watch the debate alongside adult mentors who can help them thoughtfully review the debate in real-time. It will focus on educating teens about the election process, teaching them that their voice matters and helping them to recognize that they can influence change by voting. We will emphasize the importance of learning about the issues and how the voting process works now so that those who are too young to vote will be prepared when they are able to vote in 2016, and those of voting age will be encouraged to vote.

Teens will have a chance to ask questions and express their opinions on various issues discussed in the debate during participant-led “commercial-break” conversations, and they will be able to weigh in with their “votes” on issues using Children’s Colorado’s interactive polling capabilities throughout the event.

This event is free, but space is limited, and reservations are required for each person attending. To register, go to www.ChildrensColorado.org/events, then click on “Advocacy Events.” Contact Erika Zierke at erika.zierke@childrenscolorado.org with questions.