Providing Voter Education to Engage Young People with Their Communities

October, 2024- As Election Day approaches and the presidential race takes center stage, the importance of civic education is gaining renewed attention in classrooms across the country. This time of year highlights the need for young people to engage in the democratic process by learning about the foundations of government and the responsibilities of citizenship.

Now, with just over a month until the election, many students are registering to vote and deepening their understanding of how their participation can shape the future. At The Children’s Village, we are committed to ensuring that our youth are aware, involved, and equipped to participate.

Our civic education discussions teach young adults about the functions of the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative branches of government; how bills become laws; and much more. Staff work to ensure our youth understand how voting gives them the ability to voice diverse opinions, support the issues they care about, and empower them to become informed citizens and future leaders.

“Young people lead the movement. We see that with Civil Rights [and] Black Lives Matter. We see that in the LGBTQ Movement. They are the ones who set the tones for what’s going to happen next, so it’s important that they feel like there’s power in their voices,” said Kerlyne Colin, LMSW and Equity and Special Projects Director at The Children’s Village. “Our kids, when they’re informed about those things, they’re more invigorated to say, ‘we’ve got to do something, we’ve got to shift something, [and] we’ve got to get involved.’ That’s what we really try to push for.”

The young people we are working with are all teenagers enrolled in our Independent Living Skills program, are encouraged to register to vote, and staff guide them through the process. Often, they register simultaneously for their state identification card or learner’s permit.

The civic education effort isn’t limited to our Dobbs Ferry campus; this year, The Children’s Village also is hosting voter registration drives at our sites in Harlem, the Bronx, and Queens. – all to get young adults engaged and to develop a sense of community.

And we don’t stop just with our youth; our organization also has civic engagement discussions with parents. During the COVID pandemic, we hosted a town hall to inform parents about ways to get involved with local government and politics in their communities, such as school boards. Our practice of talking with parents about civic engagement continued this month; at the start of September, parents gathered for a back-to-school bash, which included a workshop on educational rights in addition to a discussion about voting rights.

We’re proud of our efforts to impact the lives of teenagers and families, assisting them in registering to vote and engaging with their communities. You can learn more about our government and your role in it at https://childrensvillage.org/yourvote.