Imagine your community is considering opening a state-of-the-art technology center near the town library. Some citizens are concerned about the cost, whether people would use it, having property damaged, and teens loitering or behaving inappropriately online. Your school counselor has asked you to participate in the discussion as a representative of the student body, which would benefit from having such resources available. You will have five minutes to make a speech to all in attendance at the town meeting and will then sit on a panel to answer questions from the community.

To prepare for your speech, write out two to three reasons why the community should invest in the technology center, questions that you will need to research to prepare fully, and ways that you would respond to critics of the idea.