League of Women Voters Civics Education: What We Do & What's New

The Civics Education Committee supports the state requirements for Civics Education.

•  The League of Women Voters goes into area high schools classrooms to discuss the importance of voting with students.

• Our Spokane League registers students to vote in our area high schools.

• The Spokane League of Women Voters purchased print editions of our Washington State civics  textbookfor high school classes. 

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We are constantly working with educators finding ways to make civics interesting and relevant to voters and future voters. 

 Examples of our Civics Work

Valleyfest - Civic Engagement:  How Do We Learn It?

How do children and young adults learn to be civically engaged?  Perhaps they model friends or family members who speak up at local council meetings.  Perhaps they have an inspirational teacher in school who encourages them to research issues and write letters about these issues to legislators.

 Perhaps on this September afternoon in Spokane Valley, even the very young could learn civic engagement by visiting the Spokane League table at ValleyFest.  With limited instructions by League members, children and adults slipped blue “ballots” into pictured envelopes conveying their park wishes to Spokane Valley Council members planning a new park.  In only a few hours, 300 individuals, mostly families with children, made their choices known. 

Elaine Harger created the display and will tally the results with a letter to the Spokane Valley Council.  Here are pictures of a future voter, intent on making his park wishes known:

Story by Beth Pellicciotti   

 Children were asked, “What would you like to see in a new park?”   They then slipped their “ballots” into pictured envelopes.

 Collaboration with Spokane Public Schools (SPS)

• We have been at North Central and Shadle High School civics classrooms registering new voters. The Washington State #FutureVoter Project allows US citizens who are at least 16 years old to register to vote. They then receive their ballots when they turn 18. The new LWVWA "Be A Voter" campaign gives new registered students a pin or sticker, a bookmark, and LWVWA tabloid "Voter".
   
• We have reached out to other school districts in our area and will be meeting with them as the year progresses.
   

        Civics Bowl