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HomeCivic Education in Schools

Civic Education in Schools


and Community


Our mission is to foster more active and informed citizens by providing nonpartisan, reliable resources and educational opportunities that advance the understanding of our representative government, elections, and voting.

CIVIC EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS

High School Outreach--  VIRTUAL CLASSROOM Presentations

We have a new digital presentation entitled, #Make Government Work for YOU!" The High School Voter Outreach committee is NOW SCHEDULING VIRTUAL 2021-22 classroom lessons via ZOOM presented by our experienced volunteers.
This nonpartisan, 40-minute presentation includes civic education and voter registration. 

You may PREVIEW our classroom presentation here.

Please contact us for more information and to schedule a visit at: civic.education@lwvpgh.org

CIVIC EDUCATION MODEL 2021 from the
League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh
If you are a League member interested in starting your own High School Voter Outreach program or
if you would like to download the resources we use,
please click here to view or download LWVPGH CIVIC EDUCATION MODEL 2021-2022 PDF
Please copy this link to share:  www.lwvpgh.org/docs.ashx?id=831952

Accordion Widget
See More About Our High School Outreach
See More About Our High School Outreach

Over the past four years, we have presented in-person and virtual classroom lessons to at least 1800 students and received at least 1200 voter registrations--with the help of our dedicated presenters and committed volunteers.  Because we promote Turbovote.org during our virtual classroom lessons, an exact count of new voter registrations during COVID has not been easy. The advantage of Turbovote is that multiple and ongoing reminder text messages about voter registration status and each current election are sent to the students who sign up.

 

Our outreach includes many digital resources, including infographics, tutorials, and virtual classroom lessons. We also have digital resources for teachers, including open-ended questions to extend student learning and resource websites.


We have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from students and teachers about our program. 


"The Youth Vote" WQED Video

In February 2020, before schools closed, High School Voter Outreach volunteers visited Brentwood High School to present their voter registration/civic education program. 

Brentwood won the 2020 GOLD Governor's Civic Engagement Award, and along with the League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh, was featured in a PA Department of State webinar on August 20, which promoted best practices in youth voter outreach.

Visit the

VOTER RESOURCE LIBRARY for a wide variety of classroom and

voter resources including unique infographics, other helpful documents, and hyperlinks to reliable, trustworthy websites.

Slideshow
HS feedback

Invite a team of trained presenters to your classroom to help your students participate in our democratic government. Virtual Lessons are currently being scheduled for 2021-22. Contact us at civic.education@lwvpgh.org

If you will be 18 by November 2, 2021, you can register to vote NOW!

 

If you have a Pennsylvania Driver's License or PennDOT ID, you can REGISTER ONLINE at VotesPA.com. You may also use the last 4 digits of your Social Security # if you download your signature.  Register Now!

 

You can also apply with a paper application.  Download and Print Application or apply in- person at your County Elections Office or a PennDOT office.

 

Step-by-Step Digital Tutorial "Voter Registration in Allegheny County TUTORIAL" here .  "Voter Registration in Pennsylvania TUTORIAL" here .

 

 Comprehensive Voter Instructions on the "Make a Plan to Vote" and "Mail-in Voting" pages.

See our new Gen Z Votes! page here.

Are you a Teacher, School Counselor, Parent or Grandparent?  Do you have an 18-year-old in your life?

Give them the gift of democracy!

The events of 2020-21--the pandemic, disrupted school schedules, economic vulnerabilities including access to technology, food insecurity, and a chaotic news cycle--have affected students.  We will learn just how they have been affected as time goes on.  This much seems certain.  Young people want to be seen and heard.  

Help young people take ownership of the power that comes from the rights and responsibilities of turning eighteen. Our democracy is strong when young people are engaged in shaping the future!  This infographic has a link and also QR code for easy voter registration.  Share the 18th Birthday card with the young people in your lives!

To share this infographic on social media, please copy this link: 

 www.lwvpgh.org/docs.ashx?id=737050

 

Or download the PDF version here --> 18th Birthday Card-VOTE!

College and University Outreach

Our volunteers share the League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh's digital resources
with College and University staff to amplify our reach to students through school
social media, websites and email to students.

"Teasers" provide short social media messages with links to relevant infographics and other documents.  Getting these resources directly to college and university students helps them to find reliable and trustworthy election, voting and government information.

Find DIGITAL RESOURCES for TEACHERS (and other life-long learners!)


ARE YOU A TEACHER looking for classroom-ready Civic Education virtual content for your students? 

ARE YOU A CONCERNED CITIZEN who is a life-long learner?


We have done some of the research for you on sites like iCivics, Bill of Rights.org, the Constitution Center, and others. On the VOTER RESOURCE LIBRARY page, especially under "Civic Education Classrooms", you will find infographics, website links, lessons and resources to save you time and to provide some essential civics education to your students. All students need context and a foundation in civic education in order to understand their role as citizens in our representative democracy.  ACTIVE and INFORMED CITIZENS make our democracy strong!


For Spanish speaking citizens, see our EN ESPANOL page.


Also visit lwvpgh.org/ffc to see the digital "Facts for Citizens", a directory for contact local, state and federal elected officials, and more.

CIVIC EDUCATION IN COMMUNITY

Voter Resource Library

NEED for DIGITAL RESOURCES
What Our Time with COVID Taught Us 

Our Civic Education in Schools team started 2020 strong, with plans for a full schedule of in-person high school classroom presentations and voter registration drives.


But when the schools shut down mid-March, we joined the rest of the world in learning to shift our efforts to digital. The result was not just a team of volunteers ready to "Zoom" into virtual classrooms with a live, digital presentation, but also an ever-expanding library of 50+ web-ready, educational materials and infographics!

During the 2020 fall election season, we shared our digital resources found in the VOTER RESOURCE LIBRARY with broad coalitions of community partners.  We continue this essential service today.


NEED FOR PRINTED VOTER MATERIALS

    We Also Learned About Our Resilient Communities
Did you know that because of COVID and other factors, a segment as large as 40% of our community does not have access to reliable technology?  To respond to this need our team:

--Created and distributed grant-funed, printed voter materials.  Ready-Set-VOTE! door hanger bags of materials for over 2000 individuals resulted in new voter registrations--like the 187 student registrations at Pittsburgh Public Schools. These bags contain voter registration forms and instructions, but also our unique Civic Education infographics with topics like Why Vote in Municipal Elections, Fact or Fiction and Know Your Rights on Election Day .

--For the 2021 Municipal Primary, printed voter materials for 1200 individuals were created and distributed.

--For the Municipal General Election on November 2, 2021, 1000 additional Ready-Set-VOTE! bags are now available for distribution to school and community partners.


 Ready Set Vote Bag