WHO: Philadelphia City Council candidates

WHAT: Great Expectations, a year-long project to connect Philadelphia's citizens' hopes and ideas for their city to the political process, is a partnership between the Philadelphia Inquirer and the University of Pennsylvania, with funding from the Lenfest and Knight foundations.

WHERE&WHEN:May 2-6, 2007; various locations in each of the 10 City Council districts.

Philadelphia-area residents have an opportunity to make their voices heard and meet the City Council candidates before the May 15 primary.  Organizers of the Great Expectations citizen forums will head into various churches, schools and community centers in each of the 10 Council districts to hold public forums with Council candidates. The sessions will be moderated by Harris Sokoloff of Penn's Graduate School of Education.  A national expert on civic engagement, Sokoloff is faculty director of Penn's Project on Civic Engagement.

Participants will be able to question their districts' Council candidates or the at-large candidates, discuss the mayoral candidates' positions and qualifications, vote in a straw poll on the mayor's race and vote in a straw poll on the casino question.  Refreshments will be served.

Registration is required and can be accomplished by calling 215-854-5956 or going online at http://www.greatexpectations07.com, where the full schedule of events can be found.