GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WXMI) — Sixth graders at Harrison Park Academy in Grand Rapids got to participate in a major assignment: interviewing a sitting United States representative.
The class is creating a documentary to learn more about their community.
In doing so, they reached out to Congresswoman Hillary Scholten and asked her to participate in an interview.
Much to their surprise, the congresswoman agreed!
The Grand Rapids Public Schools students got to interview the congresswoman Friday morning.
Each student got to help with different aspects of the video project, including cameras, audio and questions.
“Don’t think about it as, ‘me as a sixth grader,’ start there, but then end at ‘me as an adult,’” Heather Thompson, principal of Harrison Park Academy, advised the students.
Some of the questions for Scholten included:
- Can you explain your job?
- What brought you into politics?
- How can students stay engaged politically?
- What benefits do you see in learning through art?
- What is your favorite thing about our community?
“Thank you so much for having me. It is such an honor to be here. My father was a journalist. He worked at the Grand Rapids Press for his whole career, my whole life. And my husband is a journalism professor at Calvin University, and he teaches student journalists who run that school newspaper, so I love journalists. I’m so grateful for the work that you all do asking the tough questions and (I) look forward to talking with you today,” Scholten told the students.
FOX 17 talked with several students about this project, and they expressed their gratitude for Scholten’s participation, as well as their excitement for such a big opportunity.
