KIDS PRESS CORPS

He may be only 10 years old, but Bilbray Elementary School student Kyle Nowak has some pretty grown-up questions to ask Democratic presidential candidates at today's debate.

The fifth-grader-slash-cub reporter hopes to grill the presidential wannabes about their positions on the Iraq war and health care.

He also wants to ask them what, if they are elected, they plan to do about global warming -- even though he himself doesn't yet completely understand the phenomenon.

As the only Nevada member of the Scholastic Kids Press Corps, a national team of 84 student reporters ages 10 to 14 who are covering the race to the White House from their hometowns, Kyle's responsibility is to educate other kids about the debate via an article to be posted on Scholastic's Web site. Scholastic is a major publisher of educational materials and magazines.

Kyle is nervous but excited about the job, he said during a Wednesday interview in the classroom of his mom, Bilbray drama teacher Tina Nowak.

"I'm excited to meet all the candidates who are running, but especially Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama," he said.

If given the opportunity, Kyle hopes to ask each of the two candidates what they think it will feel like "to be the first."

Obama would be the nation's first black president, and Clinton would be "the first girl" president, he said.

Kyle isn't guaranteed interviews with any of the candidates. But he'll be stationed with other reporters in the "spin" room, which some candidates and campaign staffers stop by post-debate.

His mom thinks he has as good, if not better, a chance as other reporters to score some interviews.

"Usually the candidates let the kids separately ask a question or two," she said.

Scholastic Kid reporters are easily recognizable at debates and other events by their trademark polo tops and short statures.

"They know us by the red shirts," Kyle said.

The young scribes cover debates, caucuses and primaries in key states, conventions, Election Day and the presidential inauguration. Scholastic began its kid press corps program in 2000.

Their articles and interviews appear at www.scholastic.com/election2008. Kyle's should appear sometime next week, a Scholastic spokeswoman said. His deadline is this weekend.

Scholastic's aim in recruiting the reporters is to get children interested in current events, politics and the electoral process, said Rebecca Bondor, editor in chief of Scholastic Classroom Magazines.

"Our hope is that our readers -- tomorrow's voters -- will gain a deeper understanding of the world around them and will become engaged, well-informed citizens."

Kyle, who was recently elected president of Bilbray's student government, submitted an essay about Nevada and wrote about his interest in journalism and the election to apply for the Scholastic gig.

He was attracted to journalism, he said, by the chance it provides to "meet new and famous people."

But he isn't sure whether he'll someday make it his career.

"It's either that or be a pilot," he said.

Tina Nowak said her son "has no idea how big" an opportunity it is to cover tonight's debate.

"He gets to be part of such a historic campaign," she said. "In 20 years, he'll be like, 'Oh, my gosh! I was there!' "

Contact reporter Lynnette Curtis at lcurtis@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0285.