Alachua County high schoolers mobilize young voters, boost Gen-Z's civic engagement

Ahead of Chicago's runoff municipal election, organizations such as GoodKids MadCity and Chicago Votes targeted youth voters with nontraditional events such as fashion shows and art installations, hosted youth-led candidate forums, and helped young residents get set up with IDs and driver's licenses needed for registration. Turnout among voters age 18 to 24 increased by 32 percent between the February election and the April runoff.

Ahead of Georgia's runoff election, organizations such as Georgia Youth Justice Coalition and Voters of Tomorrow pushed their outreach with Gen Z voters into high gear through text messages, phone calls, in-person conversations, and campaigns to get early voting centers on college campuses. Their efforts helped members of Gen Z outperform voters ages 25 to 40 in early and absentee voting during the runoff election.

To reach young voters more effectively, a company called Social Currant matched voter advocacy organizations such as NextGen America and Community Change Action with social media creators. The creators' posts about voting and civic engagement reached roughly 13 million people on TikTok and Instagram.

Amid a climate of targeted election misinformation, grassroots organizations such as One Arizona are intensifying their outreach to Latino voters, with a focus on connecting with younger generations through high school visits and outreach at music and cultural festivals. One Arizona has registered about 120,000 young voters in the state since March.

At Philadelphia’s inaugural Civics Day competition, students from high schools across the city presented their work to address issues important to their community, from countering sexual assault to improving safety on public transit and preventing gun violence. The students were part of a pilot project by Generation Citizen designed to teach youth how to actively participate in political and civic life.

Michigan universities mounted aggressive efforts to inform students about the 2022 midterm election, with information sessions, fliers and sidewalk chalk, social media campaigns, visits from prominent politicians, and free transportation on voting day. Turnout among the 18-21 age group increased by several thousand in two counties with large universities, and same-day voter registration has driven a boost in campus turnout since being approved in 2018.

Get out the vote groups like Inspire U.S.and Penn Leads the Vote have found that many young people are more engaged than ever before in wanting to vote, but they just need a little nudge in the right direction. From simply answering questions, to apps that make peer to peer vote nudging easier, when universities and other spaces make voting a priority, youth voter turnout grows.

Sandy Hook Promise spearheads prevention programs designed to help students keep their schools safer from gun violence, including Students Against Violence Everywhere, or SAVE, a network of youth-led clubs dedicated to improving school culture and encouraging student advocacy. There are more than 5,000 SAVE clubs across the country, and one club in Maryland has helped members find a sense of empowerment through getting involved.

The student-led Youth Informed Club educates youth about the importance of voting and how elections work, engaging them in debates and informational sessions so they can make informed voting decisions. Participants of the Club leave with a better understanding of how to get involved with politics, as well as a greater sense of hope about the political landscape and their interactions with it.

In the wake of violent incidents, administrators at two Brooklyn schools gave students space and agency to organize rallies and events protesting gun violence. Students at Williamsburg Charter High School gathered roughly 4,000 signatures in their petition for improved prevention programs.