Aarit Koul, a ninth grader from Jackson Township, Ohio, won the National Civics Bee at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, beating 38 other state champions.
The National Civics Bee National Championship was held Tuesday at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in D.C.
(WTOP/Kate Ryan)
WTOP/Kate Ryan
Katia San Juan, 13, of Bowie, Maryland, was among the 10 finalists at the National Civics Bee National Championship.
(WTOP/Kate Ryan)
WTOP/Kate Ryan
Each contestant in Tuesday’s event was given time to present their proposed solution to a panel of judges, including last year’s National Civics Bee winner, Emily Brubaker (far left).
(WTOP/Kate Ryan)
WTOP/Kate Ryan
Aarit Koul, a ninth grader from Jackson Township, Ohio, won the annual National Civics Bee competition on Tuesday.
A total of 39 state champions competed for the Bill Daniels National Civics Award and a $100,000 education savings prize. The competition took place at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, 58% of Americans fail a basic civics test. The National Civics Bee is a program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Civic Trust.
Each contestant in Tuesday’s event focused on an issue in their community that they wanted to address and was given time to present their proposed solution to a panel of judges, including last year’s National Civics Bee winner, Emily Brubaker.
The 10 finalists were then narrowed down to five, and quizzed on their knowledge in a lightning round-style competition where they hit a buzzer before answering.
Koul focused his presentation on health care access.
“I think government — all levels of government, local, state and federal — play like a big role in ensuring the public welfare and the general good,” he said, adding that health care is part of that.
Katia San Juan, 13, of Bowie, Maryland, was among the 10 finalists.
The topic she covered was personal: Her younger brother has Type 1 diabetes, and the type of insulin he uses has been discontinued. She suggested working to bring similar versions to market.
San Juan sees a clear connection between the issue and understanding government.
“If there are issues we want to solve in our community, we can use our civic knowledge to ask the government to help,” she said.
At a time when many people are soured on politics, and many don’t vote, Koul was asked about whether studying civics really matters.
“I think our government is for the people, by the people. And this is necessary. Without participation, there would be no republic, there would be no democracy,” he said.
Emmy Award-winning actor and producer Mario Lopez emceed the event and acknowledged how intelligent the students were, joking that he would be getting one of the contestants to tutor his own kids.
Asked if there were any students whose presentations stood out, Lopez said, “Every kid stood out to me. They all seemed passionate about their causes.”
“I think we’re all winners as a society with all these kids,” Lopez added.
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The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has updated the exam for those who hope to become American citizens, expanding the possible questions to 128, and in some cases, asking for more detail on the test.
Civics teachers have long included questions from the U.S. citizenship test in classroom lessons to spur conversation among students.
Now, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has updated the exam for those who hope to become American citizens, expanding the possible questions to 128, and in some cases, asking for more detail on the test. The updated test is being administered to applicants who filed for naturalization on or before Oct. 20.
Applicants have to answer 20 questions, and in order to pass, they must get 12 of those questions correct. In the past, getting six correct answers out of 10 was required.
On Thursday, the Washington Post included 10 questions from the updated exam so that readers could test their knowledge.
WTOP reached out to Maryland State Education Association president and Howard County teacher of American government and law Paul Lemle to ask about the new version of the test.
So, how did he do?
Out of 10 questions, “I got 10,” Lemle said, quickly adding, “It was luck, in part.”
Lemle admitted to guessing on two questions: The one that asked what James Madison was famous for (the answer: D. President during the War of 1812); and the other on what year that women got the right to vote (the answer: B. 1920 — we’re adding bonus points if you knew that was the 19th Amendment).
But Lemle said he wouldn’t focus on dates or places, necessarily.
“Who knows the year of a particular passage of a constitutional amendment?” Lemle argued. “You don’t need to know whether Yorktown was an important Revolutionary War battle.”
“You do need to know — and you should know — what the compact is between you and your government,” he added. “The real lesson of the Revolutionary War is what it was fought for — freedom from a faraway oppressive government — and who got left out of that.”
Parents often complain that civics isn’t taught in schools anymore.
“We still teach civics, but we just call it ‘American Government,’” Lemle said.
Lemle said many of the students he’s taught are the sons and daughters of immigrants or are immigrants themselves.
“Often, our recent arrivals come without a real understanding of what a democracy is,” he said.
Noting President Donald Trump’s administration’s challenge to birthright citizenship, Lemle said, “It surprised me that the clause in the Constitution that ensures citizenship for everyone born in the United States” in his words “made the cut as a test question.”
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High school history teacher Antoine Stroman says he wants his students to ask “the hard questions” — about slavery, Jim Crow, the murder of George Floyd and other painful episodes that have shaped the United States.
Now, Stroman worries that President Donald Trump’s push for “patriotic education” could complicate the direct, factual way he teaches such events. Last month, the president announced a plan to present American history that emphasizes “a unifying and uplifting portrayal of the nation’s founding ideals,” and inspires “a love of country.”
Stroman does not believe students at the magnet high school where he teaches in Philadelphia will buy this version, nor do many of the teachers I’ve spoken with. They say they are committed to honest accounts of the shameful events and painful eras that mark our nation’s history.
“As a teacher, you have to have some conversations about teaching slavery. It ishard,”Stroman told me. “Teaching the Holocaust is hard. I can’tnotteach something because it is hurtful. My students will come in and ask questions, and you really have to make up your mind to say, ‘I can’t rain dance around this.’”
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These are tense times for educators: In recent weeks, dozens of teachers and college professors have been fired or placed under investigation for social media posts about their views of slain 31-year-old conservative activist Charlie Kirk, ushering in a slew of lawsuits and legal challenges.
In Indiana, a portal called Eyes on Education encourages parents of school children, students and educators to submit “real examples” of objectionable curricula, policies or programs. And nearly 250 state, federal and local entities have introduced bills and other policies that restrict the content of teaching and trainings related to race and sex in public school. Supporters of these laws say discussion of such topics can leave students feeling inferior or superior based on race, gender or ethnicity; they believe parents, not schools, should teach students about political doctrine.
“It has become very difficult to navigate,” said Jacob Maddaus, who teaches high school and college history in Maine and regularly participates in workshops on civics and the Constitution, including programs funded by the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute. Almost 80 percent of teachers surveyed recently by the institute say they have “self-censored” in class due to fear of pushback or controversy. They also reported feeling underprepared, unsupported and increasingly afraid to teach vital material.
After Kirk’s death Trump launched a new “civics education coalition,” aimed at “renewing patriotism, strengthening civic knowledge, and advancing a shared understanding of America’s founding principles in schools across the nation.” The coalition is made up made up almost entirely of conservative groups,including Kirk’sTurning Point USA, whose chief education officer, Hutz Hertzberg, said in a statement announcing the effort that he “is more resolved than ever to advance God-centered, virtuous education for students.”
So far, no specific guidelines have emerged: Emails to the Department of Education — sent after the government shut down — were not returned.
Some students, concerned about the shifting historical narratives, have taken steps to help preserve and expand their peers’ access to civics instruction. Among them is Mariya Tinch, an 18-year-old high school senior from rural North Carolina. “Trump’s goal of teaching ‘patriotic’ education is actually what made me start developing my app, called Revolve Justice, to help young students who didn’t have access to proper civic education get access to policies and form their own political opinions instead of having them decided for them,” she told me.
Growing up in a predominantly white area, Tinch said, “caused civic education to be more polarized in my life than I would like as a young Black girl. A lot of my knowledge in regard to civic education came from outside research after teachers were unable to fully answer my questions about the depth of the issues that we are taught to ignore.”
Mariya Tinch, a high school senior in North Carolina, at the 2025 Ready, Set, App! competition (second from left). She developed an app to help students get access to policies and form their own political opinions. Credit: Courtesy of Mariya Tinch
Other students are upset about federal cuts to history education programs, including National History Day, a 50-year-old nonprofit that runs a history competition for some 500,000 students who engage in original historic research and provides teachers with resources and training. Youth groups are now forming as well, including Voters of Tomorrow, which has a goal of building youth political power by “engaging,educating, and empowering our peers.”
There will surely be more attention focused on the founders’ original ideals for America as we approach the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence this July. Some teachers and groups that support civics teachers are creating resources, including the nonprofit iCivics, with its “We can teach hard things — and we should” guidelines.
How all of these different messages resonate with students remains to be seen. In the meantime, Jessica Ellison, executive director of the nonprofit National Council for History Education is fielding a lot of questions from history teachers and giving them specific advice.
“They might be anxious about any teaching that could get them on social media or reported by a student or parent,” Ellison told me, noting the strategy she shares with teachers is to focus on “the three S’s –— sources, state standards and student questions.”
Ellison also encourages teachers to “lean into the work of historians. Read the original sources, the primary sources, the secession documents from Mississippi and put them in front of students. If it is direct from the source you cannot argue with it.”
In September, students at Berlin High School in Delaware, Ohio, participated in a sign creation and postcard campaign for a levy on the ballot. Credit: Courtesy Michael LaFlamme
Michael LaFlamme has his own methods: He teaches Advanced Placement government and U.S. history at Olentangy Berlin High School outside of Columbus, Ohio, where many of his students work the polls during elections to see up close how voting works. They learn about civics via a participatory political science project that asks students to write a letter to an elected official. He also encourages students to watch debates or political or Sunday morning news shows with a parent or grandparent, and attend a school board meeting.
“There is so much good learning to be done around current events,” LaFlamme told me, noting that “it becomes more about community and experience. We are looking at all of it as political scientists.”
For Maddaus, the teacher in Maine, there is yet another obstacle: How his students consume news reinforces the enormous obstacles he and other teachers face to keep them informed and thinking critically. Earlier this fall, he heard some of his students talking about a rumor they’d heard over the weekend.
“Mr. Maddaus, is it true? Is President Donald Trump dead?” they asked.
Maddaus immediately wanted to know how they got this false news.
“We saw it on TikTok,” one of the students replied — not a surprising answer, perhaps, given that 4 out of 10 young adults get their news from the platform.
Maddaus says he shook his head, corrected the record and then went back to his regularly scheduled history lesson.
The Hechinger Report provides in-depth, fact-based, unbiased reporting on education that is free to all readers. But that doesn’t mean it’s free to produce. Our work keeps educators and the public informed about pressing issues at schools and on campuses throughout the country. We tell the whole story, even when the details are inconvenient. Help us keep doing that.
Ever since I first stepped onto the debate stage, I have been passionate about speech and debate. For the last three of my high school years, I have competed and placed nationally at major tournaments in Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and Las Vegas, among many others. Debate demands an incredible amount of research, preparation and practice, but those aren’t the biggest challenges for me.
I attend a public high school in California that lacks a formal debate program or coach, which has forced me to choose between quitting an activity I love and competing independently without any school support.
I chose the latter. And that means I prepare alone in the dark, navigate complex registration processes and, most importantly, pay hefty fees.
As many of us know, debate is an effective way to strengthen students’ comprehension, critical thinking and presentation skills. Debate allows students to explore ideas in a myriad of topics, from biotechnology to nuclear proliferation, and find their unique passions and interests.
Yet for many students, a lack of school support is a major entry barrier. It has turned debate into another private-school-dominated space, where private-school students receive access to higher quality research and on-the-spot coaching on argument structure and prose, like a football coach adjusting strategy on the sidelines. Additionally, most prestigious tournaments in the U.S. prohibit non-school-affiliated debaters like me from competing altogether.
These circumstances de facto prevent lower-income debaters from becoming successful in the activity. And that is why I believe that all schools should incorporate speech and debate classes into their core curriculums. Existing history and English teachers could act as debate coaches, as they do in many private schools. School districts could even combine programs across high schools to save resources while expanding access (Mountain View High School and Los Altos High School in California have pursued this strategy).
Over the past two decades, the debate community has engaged in efforts to democratize access to speech and debate through the creation of new formats (for example, public forum), local debate associations and urban debate leagues, among others.
However, many of these initiatives haven’t been successful. These newer formats, initially intended to lessen the research burden on debaters, have shifted toward emphasizing strict evidence standards and complex debate jargon. This shift has made debate less, not more, accessible, and led to more students from private schools — who were quickly able to out-prepare those from public schools — entering and dominating the competition.
Local debate associations and competitive leagues for neighboring schools have provided more students with opportunities to participate. Still, debate via these organizations is limited, as they don’t provide direct coaching to member schools or rigorous opportunities for students, and prohibit certain students and programs from competing.
Similarly, urban debate leagues (for example, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Debate League) have been incredibly successful in expanding debate access to lower-income and minority students; however, these programs are concentrated in major metropolitan cities, face opposition from some school districts and rely on donor funding, which can be uncertain.
In my debate rounds, I have analyzed pressing social problems such as global warming and economic inequality through a policymaking lens; in some rounds I defended increased wealth taxes, and in others I argued against bans on fossil fuels. Without debate, I wouldn’t be so conscious of the issues in my community. Now, as I enter college, I’m looking forward to continuing debate and leveraging my skills to fight for change.
Speaking of college, in the competition for admission to the most selective colleges, extracurricular involvement can be a deciding factor, and debate is an excellent way to stand out, at least for those students with proper support.
However, when students from rural and low-income communities lack access to the same opportunities as students from more metropolitan and higher-income communities, we risk exacerbating the educational achievement gap to our collective detriment.
In the meantime, debate tournaments should reduce entry barriers for nontraditional debaters and for students from public schools without coaches and extra support.
Without these initiatives, too many rural and low-income students will be excluded from an amazing activity, one that is especially important in today’s polarizing and divisive climate.
Aayush Gandhi is a student at Dublin High School. He is an avid writer and nationally ranked Lincoln-Douglas debater.
The Hechinger Report provides in-depth, fact-based, unbiased reporting on education that is free to all readers. But that doesn’t mean it’s free to produce. Our work keeps educators and the public informed about pressing issues at schools and on campuses throughout the country. We tell the whole story, even when the details are inconvenient. Help us keep doing that.
In April, the Trump administration announced drastic funding cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities. Those cuts are harming education groups that rely on NEH grants — and students like me.
Among the organizations that lost funding was National History Day, a nonprofit that runs a half-century-old competition engaging some 500,000 students annually in original historical research. It also provides teachers with resources and training. For many schools, the annual event is cemented into the social studies curriculum.
The cuts sliced $825,000 from National History Day’s budget over several years, the group said. Meanwhile, more than half of its state-level competitions rely in part or entirely on funding from state humanities councils — which were also devastated by the cuts.
Without that money, National History Day’s leaders say some states will likely have to cancel their programs altogether, and the national event will be scaled back, too.
The loss of funding is discouraging to me, a high school senior in Texas who has witnessed the passage of legislation in my state and around the country in recent years limiting what can be taught in history and social studies classes. National History Day allowed me the chance to expand on what I felt was missing or inaccurate in my textbooks. The fact that there might no longer be a structured way for students to navigate incomplete curricula feels scary and is an intentional part of a broader effort by lawmakers to change how history is understood and what students can know about their past.
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At my sixth to 12th grade school in El Paso, Texas, History Day is an annual event that all middle school students participate in from September to January. They choose their topics and presentations and work to research and create a finished project as historians.
In February, we hold a schoolwide competition, a highly anticipated event in which high schoolers serve as judges and mentors for middle school projects, ultimately deciding which students advance. High schoolers automatically advance. We have become known locally as an “NHD school” and fostered a community of students who love history.
I have participated in local and state History Day fairs since seventh grade, and the program allowed me to grow as a writer and researcher. In my junior year, I wrote a paper about British imperialism and how it led to violence during the 1947 Partition between India and Pakistan, and the lasting divisions today.
I scoured dozens of oral histories of Partition survivors, including interviewing family members about their experiences. The self-guided nature of National History Day, the resources from my El Paso branch, and the support from my history teacher made my paper more than a project — but a connection with my Pakistani identity. I was able to go beyond just learning about the Partition, but also understanding how it shaped my family’s lives.
Many other students have had similar experiences with the program.
National History Day “is a way to explore a niche or smaller area of history that I wouldn’t be able to as deeply in a classroom,” said Tessa Kipnis, a high school senior at Westtown School in Pennsylvania, who wrote her project on the Rwandan genocide and France’s role in it. “It’s helped me to expand upon my passion for storytelling and self-motivated research.”
Added Kipnis: “It’s the student-led inquiry that is really going to dissipate with the funding being cut. And I feel with our current situation with the Department of Education and the funding and lack thereof, it’s hard not to view this funding being cut as part of a bigger piece.”
Many communities may be able to raise money to keep their local programs going. But even if my local or state National History Day programs continue, I know that not all communities will have the same resources. In turn, the national event will be missing vital perspectives of students, especially those from low-income and marginalized communities.
Part of what makes History Day so special is interacting with other projects and building community with other students. Now, it feels exclusive.
Anita Kuriakose, a high school junior at Academies at Englewood in New Jersey, told me she shares those concerns. “[NEH funding cuts] may cause other students to be cut from the research experience, and not be able to gain more insight into historical perspectives. Students won’t be given the chance to think creatively or research more about history outside the classroom.”
Lynne O’Hara, deputy director of educational programs at National History Day and a former social studies teacher, also told me that National History Day hinges on accessibility. “History Day is a program that should be available to all students,” she said.
“Sometimes in education, we’re just pushed to do so much and give students a little taste of all these things. But you get one topic that you really have control over and command over, and I think that really empowers students,” added O’Hara. “When I would ask my students on the last day, ‘What’s the thing you did that you were most proud of in this class?’ Ninety-nine percent of them said, ‘It was my History Day project.’”
O’Hara told me the sense of community at my school around National History Day is common among participating schools. “When teachers participate over the years, not only does it change the way they teach, but it also creates these school cultures.”
The idea that some students will not be able to experience History Day and the thrill that comes with choosing what they research is heartbreaking. Many history curricula already discuss the past in a way that doesn’t allow nuance, and National History Day gave me a path to explore the people, events and injustices that are traditionally ignored.
Organizations including the Oregon Humanities and the Federation of State Humanities Councils, the American Council of Learned Societies, the American Historical Association and the Modern Language Association have sued over the cuts. In August, a federal judge characterized the Trump administration’s abrupt cancellation of the grants as unlawful and allowed the case to proceed.
The theme for the 2025-26 National History Day event is “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History.” I hope that in six months, I will be able to present at my local fair and that National History Day will continue to provide students nationwide with a necessary platform.
Marium Zahra is a high school senior and independent journalist based in El Paso, Texas. Her work covering social justice and youth has been published in outlets including The Nation, Prism Reports, Yes! Magazine and The Progressive.
Contact editor Caroline Preston at 212-870-8965, via Signal at CarolineP.83 or on email at preston@hechingerreport.org.
The Hechinger Report provides in-depth, fact-based, unbiased reporting on education that is free to all readers. But that doesn’t mean it’s free to produce. Our work keeps educators and the public informed about pressing issues at schools and on campuses throughout the country. We tell the whole story, even when the details are inconvenient. Help us keep doing that.
From Texas to Florida to Arizona, school voucher policies are reshaping the landscape of American education. The Trump administration champions federal support for voucher expansion, and many state-level leaders are advancing school choice programs. Billions of public dollars are now flowing to private schools, church networks and microeducation platforms.
The push to expand school choice is not just reallocating public funds to private institutions. It is reorganizing the very purpose of schooling. And in that shift, something essential is being lost — the public mission of education as a foundation of democracy.
Civic education is becoming fragmented, underfunded and institutionally weak.
In this moment of sweeping change, as public dollars shift from common institutions to private and alternative schools, the shared civic entities that once supported democratic learning are being diminished or lost entirely — traditional structures like public schools, libraries and community colleges are no longer guaranteed common spaces.
The result is a disjointed system in which students may gain academic content or career preparation but receive little support in learning how to lead with integrity, think across differences or sustain democratic institutions. The very idea of public life is at risk, especially in places where shared experience has been replaced by polarization. We need civic education more than ever.
If we want students who can lead a multiracial democracy, we need schools of every type to take civic formation seriously. That includes religious schools, charter schools and homeschooling networks. The responsibility cannot fall on public schools alone. Civic formation is not an ideological project. It is a democratic one, involving the long-term work of building the skills, habits and values that prepare people to work across differences and take responsibility for shared democratic life.
What we need now is a civic education strategy that matches the scale of the changes reshaping American schooling. This will mean fostering coordinated investment, institutional partnerships and recognition that the stakes are not just academic, they are also democratic.
Americans overwhelmingly support civic instruction. According to a 2020 survey in Texas by the Center of Women in Politics and Public Policy and iCivics, just 49 percent of teachers statewide believed that enough time was being devoted to teaching civics knowledge, and just 23 percent said the same about participatory-democracy skills. This gap is not unique to Texas, but there is little agreement on how civics should be taught, and even less structural support for the schools trying to do it.
Without serious investment, civic formation will remain an afterthought — a patchwork effort disconnected from the design of most educational systems.
This is not an argument against vouchers in principle. Families should have options. But in the move to decentralize education, we risk hollowing out its civic core. A democratic society cannot survive on academic content alone. It requires citizens — not just in the legal sense, but in the civic one.
A democratic society needs people who can deliberate, organize, collaborate and build a shared future with others who do not think or live like they do.
And that’s why we are building a framework in Texas that others can adopt and adapt to their own civic mission.
The pioneering Democracy Schools model, to which I contribute, supports civic formation across a range of public and private schools, colleges, community organizations and professional networks.
Civic infrastructure is the term we use to describe our approach: the design of relationships, institutions and systems that hold democracy together. Just as engineers build physical infrastructure, educators and civic leaders must build civic infrastructure by working with communities, not for or on them.
We start from a democratic tradition rooted in the Black freedom struggle. Freedom, in this view, is not just protection from domination. It is the capacity to act, build and see oneself reflected in the world. This view of citizenship demands more than voice. It calls for the ability to shape institutions, policies and public narratives from the ground up.
The model speaks to a national crisis: the erosion of shared civic space in education. It must be practiced and must be supported by institutions that understand their role in building public life. Historically Black colleges and universities like Huston-Tillotson University offer a powerful example. They are not elite pipelines disconnected from everyday life. They are rooted in community, oriented toward public leadership and shaped by a history of democratic struggle. They show what it looks like to educate for civic capacity — not just for upward mobility. They remind us that education is not only about what students know, but about who they become and what kind of world they are prepared to help shape.
Our national future depends on how well we prepare young people to take responsibility for shared institutions and pluralistic public life. This cannot be accomplished through content standards alone. It requires civic ecosystems designed to cultivate public authorship.
We have an enormous stake in preparing the next generation for the demands of democratic life. What kind of society are we preparing young people to lead? The answer will not come from any single institution. It will come from partnerships across sectors, aligned in purpose even if diverse in approach.
We are eager to collaborate with any organization — public, private or faith-based — committed to building the civic infrastructure that sustains our democracy. Wherever education takes place, civic formation must remain a central concern.
Robert Ceresa is the founding director of the Politics Lab of the James L. Farmer House, Huston-Tillotson University.
The Hechinger Report provides in-depth, fact-based, unbiased reporting on education that is free to all readers. But that doesn’t mean it’s free to produce. Our work keeps educators and the public informed about pressing issues at schools and on campuses throughout the country. We tell the whole story, even when the details are inconvenient. Help us keep doing that.
Hoping to boost voter registration among their peers, a group of Marshall High School students launched a registration drive at the Northern Virginia school in September 2023.
Hoping to boost voter registration among their peers, a group of Marshall High School students launched a registration drive at the Northern Virginia school in September 2023.
It was a unique setup in a school classroom, with a few nonpartisan organizations providing funding. The group brought doughnuts, and had what it described as a great turnout. At least 150 people were registered to vote, senior Vedansh Garg said.
That drive, now run over a year ago, sparked months of subsequent advocacy. The same group of about 10 students has spent months lobbying Congress to pass the High School Voter Empowerment Act.
The legislation would require states to designate public high schools as voter registration agencies and tell schools to have voter registration drives for their students. It would also task the secretary of education with creating grants to reimburse schools for the costs associated with those drives.
“With young people, a lot of times, we care about a lot of issues, and the problem is we don’t see a lot of voter turnout among the youth, and that’s not because of voter apathy,” Garg said. “That’s because there’s a lot of red tape or a lot of steps to take in order to get to the polls and be able to vote.”
Inspired to help remove those barriers for other potential young voters, the students have spent months leaving the Falls Church campus and heading to Capitol Hill.
“We would go to school, and then we would go to the bathrooms and change into our business attire for D.C., and then we would head to the Senate office or House of Representatives offices,” said student Nia Gouvis.
They also used a Fairfax County Public Schools policy that allows students to miss class for a day for civic engagement.
Marshall High senior Vedansh Garg (center) and his peers are lobbying Congress to pass a bill that would designate public high schools as voter registration agencies and tell schools to have voter registration drives for their students. (Courtesy Fairfax County Public Schools)
Last November, the group had its first meeting in Vice President Kamala Harris’s office, “where we came together and we brought forward this issue to the federal government, and now this year after that, it seems like we’ve come a really long way,” senior Samad Quraishi said.
Quraishi reached out to Florida Rep. Frederica Wilson, who helped adjust some of the language in the proposed legislation. Then, the group started scheduling meetings with dozens of lawmakers.
Sometimes, they’d schedule 30 meetings in a week between the 10 of them. They reached out to 250 congressional offices, 30 of which “decided to hop onto the legislation and sponsor” it, Quraishi said.
While many staff members agreed with the ideas included in the proposed legislation, the students had some meetings during which, “I was just completely shut down, but it’s a matter of just coming back from that and learning from that experience, or learning what you could do better from that meeting, or how you should pitch it,” Gouvis said.
“We’ve seen that the younger generations are voting when it matters, or when they think that they need to make a difference, but they’re also taking a step back when they’re like, ‘Well, I don’t think I know what I’m doing, or I don’t think it’ll make a difference,’” senior Apoorva Navale said.
Rep. Wilson and California Sen. Laphonza Butler introduced the legislation in Congress earlier this year, though it hasn’t been scheduled for a vote in either chamber.
The Marshall students, meanwhile, are focusing their advocacy on empowering students to register to vote. Virginians are eligible to register when they turn 16.
“Our main goal is to educate people on how each individual person can make a huge impact, because you can’t do it by any other way,” student Hanna Rohde said. “You can’t force people to vote. You can’t do it by any other means, other than educating them on the specifics of what will happen if they vote.”
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If you’re talking with kids about the upcoming presidential election, then you need to download these fun voting coloring pages! They’re great for schools, community organizations, and home. Bonus? Adults love them too! Grab your coloring pages by filling out the form on this page.
Here’s what you’ll get when you download our free voting coloring pages
“I can vote for president in 20__!”
Allie Ogg
This is such a fun one because it also involves some math! Challenge students to figure out when they will be able to vote for president. They will be eligible to vote when they turn 18, but there may or may not be a presidential election that year. Can students figure it out?
Vote coloring page
Allie Ogg
Sometimes simple is best! This coloring page simply encourages family and friends to vote. Why not have students color a few and post them around your school or neighborhood?
The sweetest animals headed to the ballot box
Allie Ogg
We love these cute forest animals excited about doing their civic duty! And students will love coloring them too.
Ready to download your voting coloring pages? Just fill out the form on this page to get instant access.
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With each election cycle, the spotlight on engaging young voters intensifies, underscoring the important role of younger generations in shaping our country’s future. Youth who learn about voting in high school are more likely to become informed and engaged voters in the future. Recognizing this, some states have enacted laws requiring high schools to actively participate in registering young voters. This movement not only seeks to empower students but also instills a sense of responsibility and civic duty from a young age.
Where states are engaging young voters
In Texas, for example, the law mandates that high schools offer voter registration to eligible students twice a year. Colorado, on the other hand, encourages schools to engage in peer-to-peer voter registration, offering the Eliza Pickrell Routt Award to schools that excel in registering voters. This not only fosters a proactive community spirit but also rewards schools for their civic contributions.
Here is the list of states where voter registration activities are required in schools. Is your state on the list?
Many young people are unaware that they can register to vote before they turn 18. Educators can play a crucial role in raising awareness about pre-registration and its benefits.
Teach the presidential election process! Embed discussions about democracy and voting rights into the curriculum. This helps students understand the weight of their votes and the mechanics of elections.
4. Bring in community resources
Engage with local organizations like The Civics Center to access training and materials for organizing school-wide voter registration events.
Educators are not just teachers of curriculum but also mentors for future leaders and informed citizens. By fostering an environment that supports and encourages voter participation, you help ensure that young voices are not just heard but are influential in shaping the future of our communities and our nation. By taking proactive steps today, we can cultivate a generation that values and actively participates in our democracy, ensuring a brighter, more engaged future for all.
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Every two years, we head to the polls to elect local and national leaders. Voting seems pretty straightforward—choose your candidate and vote. The electoral process and history of it is complicated, and ideas about democracy, equality, voting rights, and other election topics are complex. Whether you’re talking about elections with younger students who are learning about the idea for the first time, or engaging high schoolers in debate and discussion about the issues, here are the best books about elections to bring into your classroom.
Plus, be sure to fill out the form on this page to get your free printable list of books about elections.
26 Best Books About Elections
Amazon
1. Duck for President by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin
Duck for President is the story of how this familiar storybook character runs for president. This is one of the best books about elections to introduce young children to the concept of running for president in a fun way.
This book offers an engaging introduction to the tenets of democracy. It’s a playful but powerful primer about the importance of voting and activism. After you read this book, have younger students share what they feel are important issues and traits in a leader. Then, hold their first mock election!
Imagine if you ran for president! This book introduces students to the various aspects of elections—media, debates, etc. It’s a great one to kick off a writing assignment that asks students to imagine what they would stand for if they ran for president.
Parties, voter registration, campaigns, rallies, debates, Election Day, even a recount are all clearly presented in a graphic format as the story of a local election unfolds, with hilarious commentary by the candidates’ pets.
Have your students hold a vote for something like your next class pet or next year’s classroom theme. Ask kids on each side of the debate to make signs and hold mock rallies talking about their stance.
Is voting fair? How do elections work? In We Can Vote, readers will investigate the process of voting—in their own lives and in their future—from researching choices to tallying results. This is one of the best books about elections for students who know the basics and want to get into the details of voting. Have students create a timeline of the voting process after reading.
6. What’s the Big Deal About Elections? by Ruby Shamir and Matt Faulkner
Did you know that Election Day is on Tuesday because that was the best day for farmers to vote? Or that George Washington was our only elected president who ran unopposed? Or that Native Americans were only given the right to vote in 1924? This book about elections is filled with great facts for your lessons!
The book is wonderful to use when answering student questions about elections and as a reference when studying the process.
This charming story captures the excitement of Election Day and encourages readers to ask the big question: Who will be our next president? Will our leader be a he or a she? A young citizen gives her take on politics in this sweet book told in the style of Clement C. Moore’s holiday poem.
Use this book to generate excitement about elections and ask students what they can do to make sure their families vote.
When Grace learns that the United States has never had a women president, she decides that she will be the first and starts by running in her class’s mock election. Use this book to talk about why people run for president, and hold a mock election of your own.
9. Heart on Fire: Susan B. Anthony Votes for President by Ann Malaspina
This book tells the story of Susan B. Anthony’s illegal trip to the ballot box. It’s an introduction to the suffrage movement and the history of voting equality. This is one of the best books about elections and is a great introduction to voting rights through one famous suffragist.
10. Vote for Our Future! by Margaret McNamara and Micah Player
A story about voting told through Stanton Elementary School, which closes every two years on Election Day. This story is a great one to teach how voting impacts the future, and inspire students to get excited about their own school transforming into a polling station on Election Day.
This is the fictional telling of the first Black woman to vote. It includes back matter about Agnes Sadler, the first Black woman to vote in Knoxville, Tennessee. This is a great story to read with students who are just learning about voting equality.
12. Lillian’s Right to Vote by Jonah Winter and Shane W. Evans
As Lillian, a 100-year-old African American woman, makes a “long haul up a steep hill” to her polling place, she sees more than trees and sky—she sees her family’s history. She sees the passage of the 15th Amendment and her great-grandfather voting for the first time.
Read this book and ask your students to go home and ask their parents or grandparents about the first time they voted, record what they find out, and report back to the class.
13. Where Do Presidents Come From? by Michael Townsend
This tongue-in-cheek, comic book–style guide to presidential history contains fun facts and trivia. It’s the kind of addition to your classroom library that could have students crowded around it during silent reading time. A must-have!
Use this book to host an Jeopardy-style election game.
This book gives students a clear understanding of government and politics while teaching the voting process and democracy concepts. It’s a great book to work through as a class, with activity ideas such as analyzing and evaluating primary sources, participating in a mock election and debates, and evaluating the electoral college included.
15. She Was the First! The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm by Katheryn Russell-Brown
Shirley Chisholm, a woman of many firsts, was an unforgettable political trailblazer, a candidate of the people, and catalyst of change who opened the door for women in the political arena and for the first Black president of the United States.
Read this book to talk about people who pave the way in government and other areas.
Buy it:
Amazon
16. The Kids’ Complete Guide to Elections by Nel Yomtov, Cari Meister, Emma Bernay, and Emma Berne
This book has answers to all the questions students might have about elections written in a fun way. Use this book as a resource for students, and to help explain the intricacies of elections.
17. Evicted! The Struggle for the Right to Vote by Alice Faye Duncan
This powerful book tells one Civil Rights Movement story about the Fayetteville Tent City Movement in Tennessee in the late 1950s. This book is ideal for students who have some background knowledge about American civil rights and voting, and are ready to learn more about how African Americans fought for the right to vote.
18. For Which We Stand: How Our Government Works and Why It Matters by Jeff Foster
Written by AP government teacher Jeff Foster, this book is a student-friendly guide to government. Use it as a reference, or have students complete research projects about the questions they have about how our government works.
19. Equality’s Call: The Story of Voting Rights in America by Deborah Diesen
Read about the history of voting rights from the Founding Fathers to the present day. Use this book to introduce the topic or as an extension to talking about voting in general.
When 6th grader Olive learns that a school policy is preventing some kids from participating in a field trip, she decides to act and runs against two closest friends in the student council election. This graphic novel has themes of friendship and finding out that one person can make a difference. It’s a great recommendation for students who love reading about friendship, with some election mixed in.
21. History Smashers: Women’s Right to Vote by Kate Messner
This book explores the lesser-known details about women’s suffrage with stories, fun facts, and other information. Use it to challenge students’ thinking about women’s suffrage and expand their knowledge of how women got the right to vote. Talk about the strategies that women used to get the right to vote and what made them successful.
Buy it:
Amazon
22. The Election Book: The People Pick a President by Carolyn Jackson
This informative book has clear explanations of complex topics such as the electoral college and voters’ rights.
Use this book as a springboard to host a mock election between real candidates, or use stand-ins (e.g., Harry Potter vs. Percy Jackson).
23. Stacey Abrams and the Fight to Vote by Traci Todd
Stacey Abrams is a current politician, and this picture book biography explores her fight for voters’ rights in Georgia. It’s one of the best books about elections to show how previous voting rights activists continue to influence modern politicians.
A novel about a Mari, a Cuban American, whose father is running for president. His campaign helps Mari see her father with fresh eyes. Use this book to talk about what we see about candidates and how they can shape their public personas.
In this novel, Dean and Dre, 17-year-old sons of two rival political candidates, fall in love on the sidelines of their political campaigns. This book is a great recommendation for students who are interested in politics and love a good drama.
26. Drawing the Vote: A Graphic Novel History for Future Voters by Tommy Jenkins
This graphic novel shows the history of voting rights in the United States and how it impacts voting today. The format makes this book accessible to students who might not be interested in reading a novel or informational text.
PHOENIX, December 1, 2023 (Newswire.com)
– The namesake organization founded by the first woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court is mourning the loss of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.
“No words can describe the profound loss of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. The organization she founded remains resolute and will redouble our efforts to continue her lifetime work and extraordinary legacy,” said Gay Firestone Wray, Board of Directors Co-Chair.
The Institute will carry on its mission to further the distinguished legacy and lifetime work of Justice O’Connor to advance American democracy through civil discourse, civic engagement, and civics education.
“From our organization’s founding in 2009 following her retirement from the Supreme Court, Justice O’Connor led our organization with vision and intellect, and she exemplified our nation’s ideals,” said Sarah Suggs, President and CEO. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to continue her work and dedication to our great nation.”
Sandra Day was born on March 26, 1930, in El Paso, Texas. She spent much of her younger years on her family’s 160,000-acre Lazy B ranch on the Arizona-New Mexico border. At 16 she went to Stanford University for college, graduating magna cum laude with a degree in economics. She stayed for law school. Day graduated and, six months later, married John O’Connor, the love of her life. They eventually moved to Phoenix, where Sandra Day O’Connor began her rapid professional rise, which included holding positions as assistant attorney general of Arizona, majority leader of the Arizona State Senate, and judge on the Arizona Court of Appeals. She also found time to raise three sons—Scott, Brian, and Jay—and make every recipe in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
On August 19, 1981, President Ronald Reagan nominated Sandra Day O’Connor to the Supreme Court; on September 21 she was confirmed by the U.S. Senate with a vote of 99-0.
Her career on the Court was historic. Justice O’Connor will be remembered not only for being the first female on the Court, or for her clear-eyed judicial reasoning and writings and major decisions, but also for her insistence on civility, her penchant for bringing people together to solve problems, whether in Washington, D.C. or over tacos and beer in her Arizona dining room.
“She overcame obstacles with quiet skill and determination and, in the process, inspired and continues to inspire countless others,” said Institute Board of Directors Co-Chair Matt Feeney.
We will miss you, Justice O’Connor.
About the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy Founded in 2009 by retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the O’Connor Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3), continues her distinguished legacy and lifetime work to advance American democracy through multigenerational civil discourse, civic engagement and civics education. Visit www.OConnorInstitute.org for more information.
Source: Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy
Civics 101 fills the civics knowledge gap for countless American adults who never had civics in school
PHOENIX, November 9, 2023 (Newswire.com)
– The Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy today announced the debut of Civics 101: a new, free, online civics course geared toward adult learners, countless numbers of whom never received civics education when they were in school.
The course will be rolled out in phases, with the first series, 12 micro-lessons — the Foundations of American Democracy — live and online now. Each micro-lesson can be completed in less than 10 minutes, which is ideal for adults with busy schedules who want to learn when they have free time, and at their own pace.
“We heard over and over from adults, some of whose children were learning civics in school, that they wanted the opportunity to enhance their own civics knowledge,” said Institute Director of Civic Education Ben Maynard. “We created Civics 101 to fill that unmet need.”
The micro-lessons, available now, take learners on a civics-education journey, beginning with the role of the U.S. government, to learning about the enduring significance of the U.S. Constitution, to a study of the three branches of government, to an exploration of how states and municipalities are run. At the end of each micro-lesson, an optional “Digging Deeper” section encourages users to contemplate the real-world applications of the knowledge they have just attained.
“Adults have long deserved a free resource like Civics 101,” said Matt Feeney, chair of the O’Connor Institute’s Board of Directors. “This civics material is rich and serious and important, but it’s also accessible and presented in an engaging manner.”
Additional civics micro-lessons will be added, including topics such as the elections process and citizenship.
“Justice Sandra Day O’Connor has long said that when it comes to civics education, American society cannot be complacent,” said Institute President & CEO Sarah Suggs. “Civics 101 is a way for adults to support their desire to learn more about civics and for all of us to be our best citizens.”
Civics 101 is available free of charge at www.CivicsforLife.org.
About the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy
Founded in 2009 by retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the O’Connor Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3), continues her distinguished legacy and lifetime work to advance American democracy through multigenerational civil discourse, civic engagement and civics education. Visit www.OConnorInstitute.org for more information.
Source: Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy
Premier Study Finds New Evidence of Both Mother-to-Child (Trickle-Down) and Child-to-Mother (Trickle-Up) Relationships in Civic Education and Engagement
PHOENIX, September 12, 2023 (Newswire.com)
– The Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy today announced an initiative to support new research on civics and also published its premier policy brief, titled New Evidence on Trickle-Down and Trickle-Up Influences in Civic Education and Engagement.
Conducted by Kirsten Slungaard Mumma, Ph.D., assistant professor of Economics and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, the brief evaluated K-12, birth, and voting records for over 580,000 students from the state of Indiana. It found evidence of significant trickle-down (mother-to-child) and trickle-up (child-to-mother) relationships in civic education and engagement. Children whose mothers voted in the previous presidential election, for example, were 20.3 percentage points more likely to vote in their first election. That indicates a 64% increase in the probability of voting.
The brief found that trickle-up relationships—in which the political behavior of children influences that of their mothers—are also broadly significant but are largest for non-white children and children who qualify for free and reduced-price lunch. This suggests a pathway for “spillover effects” for civic education and engagement interventions, meaning these interventions could improve civic outcomes not only for students but also for their families.
“These findings are novel, major, and exciting,” said Institute Director of Public Policy Liam Julian. “They will be of serious interest to national, state, and local elected representatives; to social scientists; to educators; and, of course, to parents and their children.”
New Evidence on Trickle-Down and Trickle-Up Influences in Civic Education and Engagement is the first of several policy briefs and research reports on civics that the O’Connor Institute will publish over the coming months and years.
“High-quality research in civics is especially crucial now,” said Matt Feeney, chair of the O’Connor Institute’s Board of Directors. “We are honored to carry forward the civics legacy of Justice O’Connor by investing resources in creating new civics knowledge to help inform our nation’s parents, educators, civic leaders, and public policy decision-makers.”
Kirsten Slungaard Mumma is assistant professor of Economics and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. She holds an A.B., an Ed.M., and a Ph.D., all from Harvard. Her research is in the economics of education. She studies how education programs and policies affect the economic, social, and political outcomes of children and adults.
About the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy
Founded in 2009 by retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the O’Connor Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3), continues her distinguished legacy and lifetime work to advance American democracy through multigenerational civil discourse, civic engagement and civics education.
Source: Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy
