National Constitution Center Invites Americans to Deliver a Six-Word Stump Speech

Address America election initiative to launch nationwide on April 24

"Restore America to its own people." – Franklin D. Roosevelt
"The old ways will not do." – John F. Kennedy
"Federal government is overgrown and overweight." – Ronald Reagan
"Read my lips: no new taxes." – George H.W. Bush
"Our government should work for us." – Barack Obama

PHILADELPHIA, April 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Over the years, presidential hopefuls have spoken concise, memorable six-word phrases during stump speeches delivered on the campaign trail.  Now, the National Constitution Center invites Americans to offer their ideas for our nation's future.  Address America: Your Six-Word Stump Speech will launch during the Center's Primary Palooza Party on April 24 – the date of the Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, Rhode Island and Connecticut primaries.  Entries also can be submitted online starting April 24 at addressamerica.constitutioncenter.org.  Address America is presented in partnership with SMITH Magazine, home of the Six-Word Memoir® project.

"The Address America initiative is a unique and accessible way for people across the country to engage in the pivotal 2012 election," said National Constitution Center President and CEO David Eisner.  "There is no better time to launch this program than on April 24 – the day when several states, including Pennsylvania, hold their primaries, and we celebrate our freedom to vote.  We hope visitors of all ages will join us to share in the excitement and make their voices heard through a six-word stump speech."

No matter their party affiliation, voters are invited to join fellow citizens to celebrate our freedom to vote during the Primary Palooza Party.  Beginning at 5:00 p.m., guests can submit their six-word stump speeches, experience the Center's new exhibits and interactive programs, compete to win prizes during presidential trivia and election-themed quizzo games, and watch the returns.  Light fare and a cash bar will be available.  Admission to Primary Palooza is FREE and includes access to the Center's main exhibition, The Story of We the People, and the award-winning theatrical production Freedom Rising.  For a special $5 rate, guests also can experience From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen.  Reservations for Primary Palooza are recommended at 215.409.6700.

Throughout the 2012 presidential race, the National Constitution Center is serving as a hub of election activity, both onsite and online. Address America: Your Six-Word Stump Speech will give museum visitors the opportunity to share their six-word stump speeches using new iPad touch screens and view them on projected displays in the Center's main exhibition.  Entries also can be submitted online beginning on April 24 at addressamerica.constitutioncenter.org, where submissions will be displayed in dynamic charts, maps and word clouds that reveal information about election priorities across geography and party affiliation.  Online users will have the opportunity to "remix" their submissions as well as the submissions of other users, and connect to objective information about election issues, the candidates, and the Constitution.        

The Center also is developing curriculum that enables teachers to incorporate Address America in the classroom.

Address America will hit the road, traveling to Tampa Bay, FL and Charlotte, NC for the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, as well as the four cities hosting presidential and vice presidential candidate debates in the fall.  In all of these locations, participants will be asked to share their six-word stump speeches on video, to be featured on the Center's website, social media channels, and Constitution Daily blog.

Following the election on November 6, 2012, the Center will continue to engage audiences by inviting six-word submissions of what Americans hope to hear expressed on inauguration day 2013.

SMITH Magazine is the lead partner for Address America.  The Center also is working with GMR Marketing and Comcast in connection with the project.

In addition, the Center is creating new and engaging onsite and online programming to inspire visitors of all ages to understand and participate in the voting process.

Election HQ [DEBUTING APRIL 24]
From April 24 through November 6, the presidential election will come to life for visitors of all ages!  Prior to touring the Center's exhibits, guests are encouraged to stop by Election HQ on the Grand Hall Overlook.  Designed with the festive look and feel of a political rally, Election HQ will excite and engage visitors with activities and programs about the ins and outs of the election process.  Guests can watch presidential campaign ads, cast a vote for their favorite presidential candidate in the Center's gumball poll, track primary results, create campaign buttons, register to vote, and more! 

New Voting Booth Exhibit – Get Matched to a Candidate [DEBUTING APRIL 24]
Once inside the Center's main exhibition, The Story of We the People, guests will be in the heart of Election Central.  A highlight of this experience is the Center's brand new voting booth exhibit – created in partnership with fast-growing Internet startup ElectNext – which will revolutionize how visitors approach the voting process.  Like eHarmony for voters, the interactive technology matches visitors to the presidential candidate who best aligns with their views on key issues – and the results may be surprising!  Once matched with a candidate, visitors will have the opportunity to cast a vote and watch as live results are displayed on a large screen in the exhibition.  A fun and unique way to get informed before heading to the polls, the new voting booth exhibit will be unveiled on April 24, 2012.     

Election 2012 Educational Activities [DEBUTING APRIL 24]
During the interactive "Can You Vote?" program, presented by the Center's education staff, visitors will learn about the history of voting in America and how different groups fought to be included in this important civic responsibility.  Participants in the popular "Hail to the Chief" trivia program will be quizzed about the most memorable elections in American history, including Thomas Jefferson vs. John Adams, George W. Bush vs. Al Gore, and more.

Evening Programs
Throughout the year, the Center's timely and engaging evening program series features a stellar lineup of prominent political voices, including former governors Edward G. Rendell and Christine Todd Whitman, Dr. Amy Gutmann of the University of Pennsylvania, and TIME Managing Editor Rick Stengel.  These speakers will tackle the tough, polarizing issues at the heart of the 2012 election, including tax reform, health care, same-sex marriage, foreign policy, immigration, and the economy.

Yahoo! News Partnership
The Center is partnering with Yahoo! News to put citizens at the forefront of election coverage.  Issue-focused commentary and features from the Center's Constitution Daily blog are being carried on Yahoo!'s online and social media platforms.  When Yahoo! reports on election issues, they uniquely program their coverage to reach specific audiences – millennials, parents, seniors, and other key demographics – in order to create discussions about the issues that matter most to each group. 

Headed to the White House Exhibition
From August 24 through November 30, visitors can experience Headed to the White House, a multimedia exhibition developed by the Center to capture the excitement, pageantry and importance of America's election process.  Through hands-on activities and role-playing opportunities, guests will travel from the campaign trail to Election Day, all in one visit.  This popular exhibition made its debut at the Center in 2008 and has been traveling around the country ever since.

About SMITH Magazine
Founded in January 2006 with the tagline, "Everyone has a story. What's yours?" SMITH Magazine has become a leader in personal storytelling. SMITH is home of the Six-Word Memoir® project, now a bestselling book series, calendar, board game, live event series and global phenomenon that's spread to classrooms and boardrooms. For more information, visit www.smithmag.net.

About the National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center is the first and only nonprofit, nonpartisan institution devoted to the most powerful vision of freedom ever expressed: the U.S. Constitution.  Located on Independence Mall in Historic Philadelphia, the birthplace of American freedom, the Center illuminates constitutional ideals and inspires active citizenship through a state-of-the-art museum experience, including hundreds of interactive exhibits, films and rare artifacts; must-see feature exhibitions; the internationally acclaimed, 360-degree theatrical production Freedom Rising; and the iconic Signers' Hall, where visitors can sign the Constitution alongside 42 life-size, bronze statues of the Founding Fathers.  As America's forum for constitutional dialogue, the Center engages diverse, distinguished leaders of government, public policy, journalism and scholarship in timely public discussions and debates.  The Center also houses the Annenberg Center for Education and Outreach, the national hub for constitutional education, which offers cutting-edge civic learning resources both onsite and online.  Freedom is calling.  Answer it at the National Constitution Center.  For more information, call 215.409.6700 or visit www.constitutioncenter.org. 

SOURCE National Constitution Center