Between learning multiplication, prepping for the SATs, Zoom classrooms, and more, there’s a lot on students’ minds this year; the upcoming election is no exception! Because of the national energy and attention put on civic engagement during the presidential election season, teachers have a rich opportunity to help students learn to use their voices — now, and once they’re able to vote.
To help teachers get the tools they need to impart these essential life lessons to their students, we’ve partnered with an anonymous Classroom Supporter to provide teachers with resources, funding, and opportunities to drive civic engagement among students this fall. From registering your high school seniors to vote to running a mock election with your 4th graders, you can empower students to have a say now and in the future.
As part of this initiative, we’ve also partnered with When We All Vote, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, to provide teachers with resources and guidance to get their school community registered and ready to vote in November.
Submit Your Most Innovative Ideas for a 2X Match Offer and a Chance to Win
While funds last, donations to qualifying projects that engage students in civic action will be doubled. At the end of the challenge, a panel of judges will select the top 5 projects to receive $5,000 in DonorsChoose classroom funding.
Check out our help center for full details on how to qualify, along with the challenge rubric our judges will use to select the winning projects, and project examples to kick off your brainstorm.
Register High Schoolers to Vote and Earn DonorsChoose Funding
When We All Vote is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to increasing participation in every election and closing the race and age voting gap. To help make sure high school students are registered to vote in November, high school teachers are invited to participate in the When We All Vote Classroom Rewards opportunity.
If you’re a high school teacher, when you register to create a My School Votes team, you’ll earn $50 for your classroom in DonorsChoose credits. When you then attend a virtual My School Votes Welcome Call hosted by When We All Vote, you’ll receive an additional $100 in DonorsChoose credits.
Resources to Get You Started
Looking for some inspiration? We’ve put together a set of resources to help you bring civic engagement to your students and to your school community.
Teaching For Democracy Alliance
Find lesson plans and teaching resources to guide and inspire your curriculum for teaching about democracy and the election.
Kickstart Action Civics
Participate in this free, 3 hour professional development course provided by Generation Citizen to help you get ready to engage your students in civics.
Host a Voter Registration Event During When We All Vote’s Week of Action
Rally your high school around voter registration throughout September 21–25 (or any days before the voter registration deadline in our state). Voter Registration events can be as simple as sharing this voter registration link in all senior classrooms!
Create Your Own Voter Registration Page
With the tool “Register Together” created by When We All Vote, you can generate a personal voter registration page. The page tracks how many people you’ve registered to vote and gives you the opportunity to share why voting is important to you.
Help Students Under 18 Prepare to Vote
Through Vote.org, students under 18 can pledge to register to vote. They’ll provide a cell number and their birthday, and will receive a text message on their 18th birthday to help register them to vote.
Voting and COVID-19 Information
Vote.org’s state-by-state guide for how COVID-19 has affected voting. Find your state to share the information with your school community!
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
