Voter turnout rate for 18-29 year olds in the United States has been typically lower than the rest of the population. Why is this the case? There’s likely no single answer, but one possible cause is the lack of civic education for young people: students often aren’t taught why or how they should register or cast a ballot. In 31 states, students only have to learn about how American democracy works for one semester. The result is a lack of political engagement, including voting and community organizing.
Professor Lena Jones, at the Minneapolis Community & Technical College, was aware of this issue, and was looking for a way to build the civic leadership skills of her students. The Jefferson Center partnered with Professor Jones to engage students in the electoral process and increase political participation among the MCTC students with the surrounding community.
PROJECT SNAPSHOT
- Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Scope: Community
History: September – November, 2014
No. of Participants: 100
Targeted Participants: General public
Recruitment: Open invitation
Target Outcome: Enhanced student civic engagement
Partners & Funders
Support and guidance for the project was provided by former Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie and John Fortier from the Bipartisan Policy Center Democracy Project.
Our Approach
In the fall of 2014, students in Professor Jones’s class studied how the Office of the Secretary of State works closely, and heard from then Secretary of State Mark Ritchie. The class included students in health, community development, public safety, political science, and more. Before the 2014 election, students hosted and participated in an on-campus forum that evaluated Secretary of State candidates.
At the forum, nearly 100 students and onlookers packed the multi-purpose room at the MCTC’s Helland Center for a two-hour discussion. Secretary of State candidates Bob Helland (Independent), Dan Severson (Republican), and Rep. Steve Simon (DFL) attended the forum, which was emceed by Jay Bad Heart Bull, president and CEO of the Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI) and moderated by Felicia Hamilton, chair of the MCTC Community Development Club. Questions for the candidates were developed and delivered entirely by students. Check out our blog recap of the student-run candidate forum on the Secretary of State election.
Outcomes
The student forum helped introduce young voters to the positions of the Secretary of State candidates, and helped them understand the role of the position, including specifically what the office can and can’t do. Students also enhanced their facilitation, project management, public policy research, civic engagement, and leadership skills through the classroom work, event planning, and deliberation.