The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards.
Anatole France
Ryan came home from his week as a Page in our State Senate with a newfound respect for what concerned citizens can accomplish when they focus on advocating for their causes and a personal drive to encourage more young people to participate in government. It was an eye-opening experience that left his brain spinning with new questions about how it all works and new ideas about how to get more students involved.
While young voters have traditionally been the least likely to turnout in elections they now make up the largest voting block and when these new voters become aware of election issues that touch them personally they can quickly turn from an unlikely voter into a passionate believer in the power of democracy.
With this in mind Ryan, his friend Naiah and I have organized a series of voter registration events at their high school. Their efforts caught the attention of our local chapter of the League of Women Voters who are assisting students at three more area high schools organize drives of their own and together we have created a network of engaged and empowered students reaching out to their peers and registering them to vote in the upcoming elections.
These kids have passion and energy and the belief that every vote matters. With a little encouragement from parents and role models combined with some basic how-to planning sessions about organizing and publicizing events their natural curiosity is well and truly awakened. They’re ready to lead by example.
Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Awakening
Northwest Frame of Mind 
That generation is the hope of my generation.
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They sure are, Jim and more and more of them are starting to realize just how much power their vote and their voices carry. 🗳
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i am so hopeful for them and their strength
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So am I, Beth. ❤️
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That is so wonderful that you and your son are doing this. Good for you. I truly believe if we can engage young people to vote, we can make changes in this country for the better.
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Agreed, Carrie! And it is so rewarding to watch these young people get excited about registering and voting for the first time. 😊 Plus if a person doesn’t register at 18 they generally don’t think about voting until their mid twenties meaning an important segment of the population isn’t participating in issues that touch them. This is my small part in trying to correct the imbalance.
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It’s so important for young people to vote. After all, they’ll be inheriting this, ahem, mess. Poor kids. Hopefully they’ll do better than we did.
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Brilliantly said
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Thank you. It’s such an important topic, we will continue to spread the word.
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Future generation, may they chose wisely.
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Yes, Perpetua. Their choices will help set all of our futures.
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Thank you, Ryan and Lisa! The new voters are, indeed, our hope.
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Yes they are!
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Good for them! I’d love to see everyone register and vote. If people don’t vote, they shouldn’t complain. 🙂
janet
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I agree, Janet! The more people who register and vote the better. It leads to the best balance we can acheive in this troubled time.
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It is refreshing to see a young person taking an interest in how government works. Hopefully Ryan can be a part of making our country and government better.
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[…] Awakening New Voters: Your Vote Your Voice – Northwest Frame of Mind […]
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Lisa, yes, we need to encourage everyone to vote.
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Yes we do, Sally. 🗳
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The voter registration project is wonderful! I am so excited each time I hear a story about high schoolers developing a passion for their civic contribution, be it voting or thinking ahead to one day running for office.They are our future leaders and somehow they are already inspiring some of us “old folks” who are more than ready to throw our support to them! I love this generation and all their hopes. We have to do all we can to stoke the fires and welcome them into the civic sphere. We NEED them!
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You’re so right, Debra, we do need their energy! It’s great to see their passion in action and so rewarding to bring generations together working toward a unified goal. We need all the unification we can get these days!
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That is so true! I have actually surprised myself lately with how much I love this younger generation! I guess I just tap into their passion and want to see it remain! It’s been a long time since I’ve had a teenager in my life, but I’m aware of what I hope for my grandchildren and what I want for them. Even a 10 and 8 year old are tuned in to what they are hearing. I’ve been surprised at what they know about current events! I know how proud you are of Ryan, and rightly so!
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