An impressive array of youth civic engagement has infiltrated our news feeds in recent months, in the wake of the Parkland shooting, issues of gun violence (locally with the death of Antwon Rose and nationally with countless others), and the larger, more broad movements of #MeToo and Black Lives Matter. These issues of justice are also getting many young people interested and passionate in civic engagement and participating in the election process for the very first time.
Many educators are asking themselves what they can do to continue the momentum that’s been built around these initiatives, and how to educate youth wanting to learn more, as well as support those already involved in these causes.
A new online resource has just launched that aims to do just that. YouthInFront includes advice from youth activists and allies on ways to support youth-led engagement, organized around questions that youth and adults may have in relation to civic engagement and education.
As many of the young people in our programs turn 18 and become first time voters, sending them to the polls with solid voter education and information is crucial. RocktheVote.org is a great site to direct youth voters to for information about voter rights, state policies, polling locations, and more.
Click here to read more about how educators can get involved, and click here to visit YouthInFront.
If you are looking for more research based information, here are two great briefings from the Forum for Youth Investment and the WT Grant Foundation: