September 30, 2014 – This year, the NYC Campaign Finance Board is sponsoring the NYC Votes Youth Voting Workshop. The Workshop is an interactive, discussion-based session that provides students with a comprehensive overview of city government, the functions of each elected position, and that voting has on their daily lives. The run time for the workshop is 45 minutes to an hour. Centered around issues effecting NYC youth, the workshop challenges students to think critically about how these issues effect themselves, their peers, families, and communities. Through the method of peer-to-peer engagement the students participate in a dynamic discussion that journeys them through the importance of voting and civic engagement, and guides them towards making personal connections between their issues and the roles of their elected officials.
In this workshop students are provided with:
- An overview of the history of voting, its importance, the 2014 and 2015 elections, and the duties of current elected officials
- The opportunity to openly exchange thoughts with their peers about voting and government
- Facts about voting and youth voter turnout locally and nationally
- A critical discussion on why voting matters, and what it means to be civically-engaged citizens
- Tools for researching their own districts and elected officials and getting involved
Each workshop is tailored to fit the needs of the audience and includes specific and relevant curricula designed to target elementary, middle, high school, and college-age groups. The workshop concludes with voter and poll worker registration, a fun recap of the information that the students learned in the session, and a short survey that analyzes the impact of the workshop on their potential voter participation. If you would like to set up a workshop for your class, please contact Chyann Sapp, Youth Coordinator, Voter Assistance at: 212-409-1844