Students will ask candidates prepared questions about important issues in the community. | Video courtesy IE Productions
IDAHO FALLS – Compass Academy government students will be asking questions and facilitating discussion for the Idaho Falls City Council and mayoral forums on Wednesday and Thursday (Oct. 15 and 16).
The forum, presented by the City Club of Idaho Falls and Compass Academy, will be held inside the school’s auditorium, located at 955 Garfield Street. Students will ask each candidate the same prepared questions and act as moderators.
Tammie McCammon, administrator for the City Club of Idaho Falls, says the club contacted the students to gauge their interest in collaborating on the forum.
“The students are the ones who have done all of the work for it,” McCammon says. “We’re mostly just being their partner and the people that are getting the word out.”
RELATED | EastIdahoNews.com will livestream upcoming City Club candidate forum in Idaho Falls
All candidates for Idaho Falls mayor and seats 2, 4, and 6 on the Idaho Falls City Council are expected to attend.
The City Club says it is important to note that the event will not be about debates.
“These forums are structured discussions — not debates — designed to foster civic learning and community engagement,” according to the release.
The public will also be able to meet the participants before and after each forum. All candidates will be stationed at their own tables to share campaign materials and answer questions.
“This will be an opportunity for people to go in and just have a conversation with the candidate,” McCammon says. “It’s only going to be the candidates who want to set up a table and do that, and they are going to have them available before and after the forum.”
McCammon says it’s been inspiring to see the students work so hard on their research and develop informed questions for the discussion.
“They’ve been studying, canvassing neighborhoods, asking people what their questions are, trying to get a finger on the pulse of what’s going on in our community,” McCammon says. “I think it’s been great for them to be able to learn and grow. A lot of people aren’t very well educated on what’s going on in the community, and if you can get them to start young, and really have that desire to learn, I think that’s motivating to stay in it as they get older.”
The events are free and open to the public, with no registration required. The forums will also be live-streamed on EastIdahoNews.com.
The City Council candidate forum will be on Wednesday, Oct. 15, from 7 to 9 p.m.
The mayoral candidate forum will be on Thursday, Oct. 16, from 7 to 9 p.m.
See more local election coverage on East Idaho Elects.
=htmlentities(get_the_title())?>%0D%0A%0D%0A=get_permalink()?>%0D%0A%0D%0A=htmlentities(‘For more stories like this one, be sure to visit https://www.eastidahonews.com/ for all of the latest news, community events and more.’)?>&subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20EastIdahoNews” class=”fa-stack jDialog”>
