Engaging Young Voters at the Local Level: LWVMI Board Member Charles Thomas Jr. presented a shortened version of his community/school program entitled Value of the Vote.
Dedicated to full participation in the franchise of democracy, his organization has held many programs in Michigan schools.
Joining him was Deputy Secretary of State, Aghogho Edevbie, who spoke about the Department of State’s youth engagement initiatives.
Mr. Thomas grew up in a family where the women tirelessly worked for civil rights. This prepared him to continue the work, and was the impetus for developing his central message, “When you vote, I win.”
Voter registration is only part of the game. The usual methods for registering voters are working, but those newly-registered voters are not casting ballots. Maybe it’s the message that’s dragging it down.
His videos described the work best.
- Oakland University, September, 2023. https://tinyurl.com/3vnz5tat
- “Speaking Truth” – the power of the vote in Detroit and how to get a conversation going with those who think their vote doesn’t count.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3o02c4xRrpU
- “Three Marches Two Sisters One Bridge” – a collaboration with LWV Detroit and the Detroit Public Library. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8x7XKoOyyU&t=144s
Find more information on his website https://gotvmi.org/
Deputy Secretary Edevbie outlined the MI Department of State (MDOS) youth engagement initiatives that emphasized listening to students:
- Collegiate Advisory Task Force
- Mock Elections Practice at high schools statewide
- Roundtable discussions with high school and university students
“Your vote impacts social media” is the one statement that “lights up the room.”
MIDOS recognizes the lack of in-depth civics education and has worked with the MI Department of Education, but with no tangible results. They need the legislative push for civics eduction curriculum funding.
Submitted by Lauri Kingsbury, Loren Mannino, and Liz Martin