Hundreds of high school and university students are expected to attend a mini-seminar session in the Wendy Williamson auditorium at the University of Alaska Anchorage on Friday, March 10 to honor the 50th Anniversary of Alaska’s Constitutional Convention.

The three-hour “Visioning Alaska” session, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., will give students the opportunity to hear from participants in Alaska’s Constitutional Convention about the work they did to craft the foundation for the State of Alaska, and hear from youth who gathered in January at the Conference of Young Alaskans about their vision for Alaska’s future.

Designated students from each class in the audience will be asked to vote on selected statements and issues raised in interactive discussion sessions. Constitutional Convention panelists will include delegates Jack Coghill and Victor Fischer and Chief Clerk Katie Hurley.  Wasilla High School student Walter DiSarro, President of the Alaska Association of Student Governments and a member of the Steering Committee that planned the Conference of Young Alaskans, will give the conference report.

Special guest speakers include Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich and UAA Chancellor Elaine Maimon. A sketch reenacting the voting age debate at Alaska’s Constitutional Convention will also take place. Final program schedules will be available Thursday, March 9, 2006.

The “Visioning Alaska” seminar is a joint effort of the University of Alaska’s Creating Alaska project, the UAA campus, and the Anchorage School District. The effort has been made possible in part by contributions from BP, and the support of the Alaska Teaching Justice Network and youth volunteers. Lt. Gov. Loren Leman’s office is providing constitutions for each youth participant.

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For more information, please contact Patti Harper, Public Information Specialist, at (907) 786-1169 or patricia.harper@alaska.edu.