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Thomas Jefferson High School hosted the foreign policy event titled “Prioritizing America’s Future: Presidential Candidates’ Views of National Security and Foreign Policy” on Thursday, November 5, with four local schools in attendance, as well as five additional schools participating via video conference.

Pictured are (l-r): Gina Kilmer, Tom Sanderson, Lisa Sydeski, and Aleah Bousquet

Each school was assigned two presidential candidates for whom they would serve as their national and foreign policy advisors. The goal of the event is to educate and engage students on the current slate of eighteen presidential candidate policies and their stance on foreign affairs and national security.

According to Thomas Jefferson High School’s social studies teacher, Lisa Sydeski, “The event was a great way for our students to cultivate their knowledge of global issues and become informed voters in the upcoming presidential election, 2016. Their active participation allows them to investigate the world, recognize different political perspectives regarding the presidential candidates, and bring awareness to foreign policy issues in order to better understand the world beyond just the walls of Thomas Jefferson.”

Fox Chapel Area High School, Seneca Valley Intermediate and Senior High Schools, Thomas Jefferson High School and Upper St. Clair High School were onsite participants. Del Valle High School in Austin, TX, Fannett-Metal Middle/High School in Willow Hill, PA, Hampton High School, Keystone Oaks High School and North Hills High School participated via video conference. Thomas Jefferson senior and 2015 Global Travel Scholar Aleah Bousquet welcomed Amiena Mahsoob, Director of Education Programs at the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, who served as moderator for the event.

Students listened to guest speaker Tom Sanderson, who is a director and Senior Fellow with the Transnational Threats Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He investigates terrorism, transnational crime, global trends, and intelligence issues.

Lisa Sydeski, along with Suhail Baloch, Technology Director for West Jefferson Hills School District, coordinated the event with the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh.

TJHS1.jpg - Jake Clark, TJHS student presenting at the event
TJHS2.jpg – 

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