In the wake of the insurrection at the nation’s capitol, we have seen many editorials across the country calling for basic civics education. The League of Women Voters has as its mission the creation of informed citizens who participate in their government. Our education programs are targeted at people of all ages, helping them understand their voting rights, the way our many levels of government operate, the ways they can influence government policies, the issues facing our democracy.
Our Take Me To Vote (TMTV) Program encourages 5th graders to accompany adults to the polls, and also rewards them with an opportunity to speak with their assembly member. This year it morphed to a virtual program, Teach Me To Vote, with a marvelous film for 5th graders written by our director of the TMTV program, Suzanne Bishop, and starring Linda McKenney as Susan B. Anthony.
First Vote reaches out to High School seniors with information and the resources to register to vote. Every year LWVSC sends two students to LWVNY’s Students Inside Albany – where students learn how state government functions and get to shadow one of their representatives for a day. Also targeted at high school students, LWVNY, in collaboration with the NYS Social Studies Supervisory Association, has developed seven lesson plans for teachers of Participation in Government. LWVSC put on a workshop for area Social Studies Teachers introducing them to the lesson plans and to information about our county governments.
LWVSC sent Tom Bryson, one of the workshop’s participants, to a course on The Harvard Case Study Method. His students in Schuylerville are the beneficiaries of this training. Late this spring, Tom will be offering a workshop for the League (and the public) using one of the case studies he developed in the course.
Barbara Thomas
1/17/2021
