GILL — Every election season, the Northfield Mount Hermon School campus is abuzz with political activity, with students making posters, participating in debates and taking to the polls.
Since 1988, Northfield Mount Hermon School has headed up the Voting Opportunities for Teenagers in Every State (VOTES) Program, a 50-state mock election across America’s high schools.
In the days leading up to Nov. 1, more than 50,000 students at around 160 public and private high schools will cast their ballots for president and return their individual election results to Northfield Mount Hermon School for tallying. The VOTES Program has correctly predicted the winner of six of the last seven presidential elections.
Northfield Mount Hermon School history teacher Jim Shea, one of the program’s founders, said the main goal is to allow students to engage in and learn about the political process.
“It sort of came out of frustration,” said Shea, who has taught at the school for 31 years. “I was teaching about the Electoral College in spring of ’88 and the kids were just so disengaged. They had no interest in the Electoral College or the political process.”
Upon careful thought, Shea realized his students would benefit from doing things in a hands-on way. He and co-founder Lorrie Byrom decided to create a mock election that would involve two schools from every state including the District of Columbia, simulating the electoral college.
According to Shea, Northfield Mount Hermon School has experienced great success with the VOTES Project. More schools get involved each year and more Northfield Mount Hermon School students participate in the on-campus political activities.
“From day one of every school year, that’s all the kids are talking about,” Shea said. “It just really kind of dominates the discussion on campus, which is so exciting and healthy to see … I’m glad that kids are not turning off to politics. They just seem more involved, engaged, educated and active than I’ve ever seen them.”
Shea said about 140 of the campus’ 650 students are creating campaign posters, participating in debates, earning endorsements for the VOTES Project and live streaming the results on Sunday, Nov. 6. The overwhelming majority will cast their votes.
“NMH takes a lot of pride in the fact that we’re the host of it. I think that’s what gets 140 kids to say, ‘Wow, I want to be a part of this thing,’” Shea said. “It’s not just a mock election on a random Tuesday, but rather a two-month long educational experience that the students buy into.”
For many Northfield Mount Hermon School students, the VOTES Program provides them with hands-on experience that benefits them in their later careers in national politics, polling, candidate advocacy and law.
Shea, who describes himself as a “political junkie,” loves to see students respond to politics with passion. He also believes the students “love being part of a national project that’s bigger than themselves and love to see how they vote in comparison to other schools across the country.”
Northfield Mount Hermon School is one of five Massachusetts schools participating in the VOTES Program along with the Williston Northampton School, Stoneleigh-Burnham School, Pioneer Valley Regional School and Phillips Academy.
Shea noted that since 1988, presidential candidates’ high schools have participated, too.
“That’s one of our neat little traditions,” he said. New York Military Academy and Maine South High School, where Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton attended school, respectively, will participate this year.
Northfield Mount Hermon School’s campus excitement culminates Sunday, Nov. 6 from 6:30 to 9 p.m., when students will live-stream election results at votes2016.org.
Shea said students use James Gymnasium to simulate election night coverage, acting as political analysts or anchors. Others work behind the scenes to run the event or use the opportunity to share their knowledge about political corruption or voter identification laws. He expects students will announce the winner at around 8:30 p.m.