In Boise, it’s a forum. In Caldwell and Lewiston, rallies are planned. In Kamiah, it’s a public meeting. In Coeur d’Alene, you might get a phone call. In Ketchum, the Octoberfest celebration will include conversations about education.

It’s all happening Saturday.

Idaho Young Democrats and local Democratic parties are hosting education events statewide on Saturday, Sept. 28. Each community is doing something different, with the shared goal of raising awareness on education issues.

“We intend to show Idaho’s elected leaders that our communities care about education and implementing recommendations from Idaho’s Education Task Force — which, among other recommendations, advises reversing deep cuts made to education in recent years,” said Dean Ferguson, communication director for the Idaho Democratic Party.

“This is an opportunity to talk to people,” Ferguson said. “We want to get an idea of what people support, things like pre-kindergarten education funding or asking if they think our K-12 education system is going in the right direction.”

These events are organized by local parties in cooperation with young activists. For example, Josh Rebollozo, president of College of Idaho Democrats, has done much of the footwork to organize the Caldwell event.

Here are details for Saturday, Sept. 28. Please click here before attending to check for changes or updates:

Coeur d’Alene: Volunteers will make phone calls to survey the community regarding support for education.

Lewiston: A rally will be held from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Blue Bridge downtown between Washington and Idaho.

Kamiah: Public education meeting, 4:30 p.m., Community Hall.

Caldwell: Rally at noon, at the Oasis on the College of Idaho campus. Featured speakers are 1st Congressional District candidate and state Rep. Shirley Ringo and former state Rep. Brian Cronin.

Boise: Education forum, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., Centennial High School Little Theatre (12400 W. McMillan Road). Featured speakers are state Rep. Janie Ward Engelking, Ringo and Mike Lanza, a member of the governor’s education task force.

Ketchum: Education speakers will be featured at the Oktoberfest, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Forest Service Park.

Pocatello: Rally, 11 a.m., outside the Idaho State University Student Union, Humboldt Street and South 5th Avenue.

“Twenty years of GOP control brought us to where we are today — we need to change direction and that will mean rejecting the failed policies and the failed leaders in Idaho’s GOP,” Ferguson said. “All that said, these rallies are not designed to take shots at the GOP. These rallies are designed to share information on potential paths forward for Idaho. Also, it will be an opportunity for people to contemplate the proposed recommendations from the Idaho education task force.”