Engaging Students for an Informed Democracy: The Role of K-12 Schools in Growing Voters

Young people want to learn about elections in school and, when they do, they’re more likely to vote, engage in their communities, and become engaged and informed members of our self-governing society. Join us for a brief 20 minute research presentation and 25 minute Q&A hosted by CIRCLE on how K-12 schools can play a role in preparing young people for participation in our nation’s constitutional democracy. We will share major findings and recommendations from the CIRCLE Growing Voters report about teens’ civic learning experiences, or lack thereof, and the role of schools in a paradigm-shifting framework for supporting young people’s civic development. We will examine how multiple stakeholders in the K-12 schools ecosystem, including students, teachers, and administrators can work together to support young people’s democratic education and participation and outline the practical steps they can take to ensure each and every student, especially those from disadvantaged or marginalized communities, receives a high-quality civic education that prepares them to be engaged members of their community and our democracy.