CBS INTRODUCES THE 40 PIONEERS OF "KID NATION"

The New Reality-Based Series Will Premiere Wednesday, Sept. 19, at 8 PM, ET/PT

CBS introduced today the 40 kids who will participate in KID NATION, the new reality-based series which premieres Wednesday, Sept. 19 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

KID NATION features 40 kids, or "Pioneers," who will have 40 days to form a new society in a ghost town that died in the 19th Century. These kids, ages 8-15, will spend more than a month without their parents or modern comforts in Bonanza City, N.M., attempting to do what their forefathers could not - build a town that works. They will cook their own meals, clean their own outhouses, haul their own water and even run their own businesses - including the old town saloon (root beer only). They'll also create a real government - four kid leaders who will guide the kids through their adventure, pass laws and set bedtimes. Through it all, they'll cope with regular childhood emotions and situations: homesickness, peer pressure and the urge to break every rule they've ever known.

At the end of each episode, all 40 kids will gather at an old fashioned Town Hall meeting where they will not only debate the issues facing Bonanza City, but also decide which worthy Pioneer will be awarded the coveted Gold Star, worth $20,000. They'll show wisdom beyond their years and the candor that only kids can exhibit.

There are no eliminations on KID NATION - you only go home if you want to. And in every Town Hall meeting, kids may raise their hands and leave. Will they stick it out?

In the end, will these kids prove to adults everywhere - and their own parents - that they have the vision to create a better world than the pioneers who came before them? And just as importantly, will they come together as a cohesive unit, or will they abandon all responsibility and succumb to the childhood temptations that lead to round-the-clock chaos?

The 40 "Pioneers" participating in KID NATION are (in alphabetical order):

ALEX

Age: 9

Hometown: Reno, Nev.

Favorite subject: Geography

When I grow up I want to be: "I'm not sure what I would like to be when I grow up, but I currently think that it would be interesting to be a linguist, geography teacher and/or a chemist."

ANJAY

Age: 12

Hometown: Pearland, Texas

Political views: "If I could hold one office in politics it would be Secretary of the State, so I could suggest the policies for the future of the U.S.A."

Role Model: "Mahatma Gandhi, because he gained India's independence without firing a single shot or shedding a drop of blood."

BLAINE

Age: 14

Hometown: North Palm Beach, Fla.

My Perfect Day: "There is nothing I like better than to spend the day at the beach, waiting on the perfect wave to surf on my favorite board."

Rode Model: "My Dad is my hero and role model, hands down! He is an Engineer/First Mate on a 124' private yacht, and some day I want to do the same thing, 'cause I love to work with my hands, be on the water, travel to exciting places and meet new people."

BRETT

Age: 11

Hometown: Edina, Minn.

Accomplishments: "I am working with families on changing the family law in Minnesota that upholds contact between kids and their 'non-custodial' parents, creating 'Ryan's Law.'"

Political Views: "I am very conscious of world events and concerns. I believe the best way I can help my community and world is to spread good energy to others." CAMPBELL

Age: 10

Hometown: Thomasville, Ga.

What I want to be when I grow up: "I would like to be a political person because good government is important and I could help the economy."

If I could switch places with someone: "I would like to switch places with the President of the United States so that I could perform the daily duties and protect the wildlife."

CODY

Age: 9

Hometown: Newport, Ohio

When I grow up I want to be: "A police officer."

Political views: "If I could write a law, gas prices would be $0.25 a gallon."

COLTON

Age: 11

Hometown: Reno, Nev.

Accomplishments: "My football team made it to the playoffs and was named the All-Star team. Also, I won my first belt buckle at the Wadsworth Rodeo."

Political Views: "I feel that no matter who you vote for, someone is always going to disagree with the president's judgment."

DIVAD

Age: 11

Hometown: Fayetteville, Ga.

Personality traits: "Kind, helpful, honest - I am a great leader and I like to make others laugh."

If I could write one law: "If I could write a law, I would make it illegal to charge medical care to someone who can't afford it."

DK

Age: 14

Hometown: Chicago

If I could switch places with someone: "I would switch places with the President of the United States - this would be the opportunity to have a positive influence on others and make the world a better place."

Goals and Aspirations: "I want to inspire kids everywhere. I want to be able to prove all things are possible if you put your mind to it and believe in yourself."

EMILIE

Age: 9

Hometown: Sparks, Nev.

Favorite hobbies: "Horse back riding, finding adventure and basketball."

If I could switch places with someone: "I wouldn't switch places with anyone because I appreciate myself."

ERIC

Age: 14

Hometown: Morristown, N.J.

Role model: "As a musician, my role model would be Paul McCartney. I play many of the same instruments as him and his life is very inspiring to me"

Goals and aspirations: "My career goal would involve music, leadership and teaching others. I want to inspire and help others."

GIANNA

Age: 10

Hometown: Chicago

When I grow up I want to be: "I want to be an actress or President of the United States."

Role models: "My family and my educators - they all help me to learn and grow in different ways."

GREG

Age: 15

Hometown: Reno, Nev.

When I grow up I want to be: "A mechanical engineer - working at my dad's shop (dad is a master mechanic) gives me the experience I need to become a successful engineer someday designing cars or something."

If I could switch places with anyone: "It would be my mom, because I want to know how she does it. She raises me and my sister, keeps a clean house, does paperwork at the shop, cooks dinner and yet she still has time to go out and work with the horses. She's amazing."

GUYLAN

Age: 11

Hometown: Upton, Mass.

Experiences: "My parents are exotic animal trainers, therefore providing me the opportunity to live and work with bears, camels, baboons, lions, tigers and elephants literally in my back yard since I was a year old. I also grew up living in two zoos in New England, York's Wild Kingdom and Southwick's Zoo, for a few years."

Goals and Aspirations: "To stop global warming; to seek out new life and civilizations and to boldly go were no man (boy) has gone before."

HUNTER

Age: 12

Hometown: Martinez, Ga.

Interests and hobbies: "Basketball, biking, water sports, golf, fly fishing, hunting and reading."

Goals and aspirations: "I would like to go to college and be in one of the branches of the armed forces."

JARED

Age: 11

Hometown: Dunwoody, Ga.

If I could hold a political position: "I would be Speaker of the House."

If I could write one law: "I would write a law that required specific requirements for animal refuge centers."

JASMINE

Age: 11

Hometown: Atlanta

Goals and aspirations: "When I grow up I would like to have my own television show, an artist development company or a School of Performing Arts.

If I could switch places with someone: "No one, because I love the people in my life and I would not want to change that."

JIMMY

Age: 8

Hometown: Salem, N.H.

Political views: "If I could outlaw something it would be weapons and war."

If I could switch places with someone: "It would be Bill Gates, because he is the richest man in the world and very smart."

KELSEY

Age: 11

Hometown: Furlong, Pa.

People would be surprised to learn: "That I performed on piano at Carnegie Hall when I was in the fourth grade, which was a great honor to experience."

Political views: "I think it was a bad choice to send soldiers to Iraq to fight. If I could change something about our world it would be to let all world and nationwide disagreements to be settled peacefully."

KENNEDY

Age: 12

Hometown: Ashland, Ky.

Accomplishments: "I started the program 'Break the Cycle with Reading,' spending Saturdays reading to inmates' children who were visiting their parents that are locked up; I'm a highly-ranked tennis player across Kentucky, the south, and the nation."

Role Model: "President John F. Kennedy - he had high hopes for our country and was fearless."

LAUREL

Age: 12

Hometown: Medford, Mass.

If I could write one law: "I would make a 'no bullies' law. I believe bullies are truly cowards and I think if bullies were gone the world would be a better place."

If I could hold one position in government: "I would like to be in a position where I could make decisions that would affect people's lives in a positive way."

LEILA

Age: 9

Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.

Favorite hobbies or sports: "I have been doing beauty pageants since I was a baby. I usually do about 15-20 pageants a year. I also enjoy riding horses with my oldest brother at the barn and going to my other brother's high school football games."

If I could change one thing in the world: "I would want to make people more honest and nice with each other."

MADISON

Age: 11

Hometown: El Paso, Texas

Goals and aspirations: "I have always dreamed of being an actress, being in movies, and in many plays."

Quote: "If I could change one thing in the world I would change people's desire to be perfect. NO ONE is perfect, and you don't need to be a Barbie to be loved. You are perfect in someone's eyes."

MAGGIE

Age: 14

Hometown: Evansville, Minn.

Experiences: "I was adopted as a baby, and still know my birth parents. I keep in touch with them and my brothers and sister. I live on a hobby farm in a one-room house, with no indoor bathroom."

Political Views: "I would outlaw smoking and war - they both kill - and bombs kill innocent kids."

MALLORY (OLIVIA'S SISTER)

Age: 8

Hometown: Indianapolis

When I grow up I want to be: "A pediatrician - I want to help people."

People would be surprised to learn: "That I play soccer better than most boys on my team."

MARKELLE

Age: 12

Hometown: Marietta, Ga.

When I grow up I want to be: "An entertainer."

Quote: "If I could change one thing in the world, I would make sure that all kids with single parents have good role models and mentors to make sure that they have the same amount of opportunities and love and grow up to be happy."

MICHAEL

Age: 14

Hometown: Monroe, Wash.

If I could write one law: "I would allow gay marriage. I think it's time to stick to equal rights."

If I could hold one political office: "I would be a White House Press Correspondent."

MIGLE

Age: 13

Hometown: Downers Grove, Ill.

If I could write one law: "I would make it a law that mothers couldn't leave their kids."

Role Model/Hero: "My hero is my mom. She has been through some tough times and is always there for me."

MIKE

Age: 11

Hometown: Bellevue, Wash.

Role Model/Hero: "Raoul Wallenburg, who was a Swedish citizen who saved thousands of Jewish lives during the holocaust."

If I could hold office in politics: "I would like to be in Congress and be on special committees so that I could work in small groups to write laws."

MORGAN

Age: 12

Hometown: Indianapolis, Ind.

If I could write one law: "I would outlaw smoking in the U.S."

Quote: "If I could change one thing in the world, I would rid the world of prejudice because it's unnecessary and we are all equal in God's eyes."

NATASHA

Age: 13

Hometown: Miami

Favorite subject: "I think right now my favorite subjects are art and civics because in art, you can just express yourself on paper using anything you want, and in civics, I get so into learning about the government and laws and things involving the amendments and rules, I just find it so cool."

When I grow up I want to be: "I'm still finding my place in the world and I'm not absolutely sure what I want to do when I'm older. I'm young and I'm still experimenting my skills in different subjects so I want to first find my strengths and weaknesses and then go from there on what I'll be most committed to."

NATHAN

Age: 11

Hometown: Mount Prospect, Ill.

If I could switch places with someone: "The President of the United States, so that I could run the country and make all the rules."

When I grow up I want to be: "Either running my own business or an architect or interior designer."

OLIVIA (MALLORY's SISTER)

Age: 12

Hometown: Indianapolis, Ind.

Goals and Aspirations: "I want to be a journalist because I love to write."

Role model: "Nellie Bly; I also admire my mom's ability to work, my sister's logic and my dad's writing abilities."

PHARAOH

Age: 12

Hometown: Philadelphia

If I could write one law: "I would write a law that puts more police officers in school. I would also write a law that bans any form of discrimination."

What others would be surprised to learn about me: "That I ride horses and play polo."

RANDI

Age: 11

Hometown: Sparks, Nev.

When I grow up I want to be: "A horse trainer - I have learned the proper techniques and I would love to be able to teach them to others."

If I could write one law: "No one over the age of 65 is allowed to smoke. Also, we would all have to go back to riding horses."

SAVANNAH

Age: 10

Hometown: Partridge, Ky.

When I grow up I want to be: "A lawyer or zookeeper - a lawyer is interesting and makes a lot of money, and a zookeeper because I like animals and want to learn more about them."

What others would be surprised to learn about me: "That I like bugs, frogs, lizards and other gross things."

SOPHIA

Age: 14

Hometown: Winter Park, FL

Accomplishments: "In elementary school, I began a 'non-violent protest' to have the school closed for President's Day and was successful. I also founded a club for Jewish students in middle school, where they only had a social organization for Christian students."

If I could write one law: "I would outlaw ignorance. I would write a law that said that everyone must be literate and aware of what is going on in the world around them."

SOPHIE

Age: 10

Hometown: Issaquah, Wash.

When I grow up I want to be: "An author and a professional soccer player. If I'm lucky, I'd also like to be an actress. I'm a busy girl!"

Accomplishments: "I have a company called 'Art in the Heart' to raise money for the SPCA every year. I make paintings and bookmarks with my own art, then sell them at the local farmer's markets and then give 50 percent of the profits to them. For the last two years, I have won the city's 'chalk art' competition for the elementary level."

TAYLOR

Age: 10

Hometown: Sylvester, Ga.

When I grow up I want to be: "A paleontologist because I love science."

Miscellaneous: "I am passionate about pageants because I want to be Miss America or Miss USA one day. Also, I enjoy hunting for arrowheads with my family. I have over 2,000 arrowheads in my collection."

ZACH

Age: 10

Hometown: Miami Beach, Fla.

Goals and aspirations: "I plan to go the Air Force Academy."

Role model(s): "My dad, he really sets an example for me."

Quote: "I am passionate about helping people that are sick."

KID NATION is hosted by Jonathan Karsh and is a production of Tom Forman Productions and Good TV, Inc. Tom Forman is the executive producer. Scott Einziger is the co-executive producer. For more information on KID NATION and the 40 kids, please visit http://www.cbs.com/primetime/kid_nation/