HISD juniors and seniors recently attended the My Ballot, My Future Civic Youth Summit, an interactive event that empowers students to change through voting.
During a time when one of the U.S.’s two main political parties is doing everything possible, humanly and otherwise, to suppress Black, Hispanic, and youth votes, HISD’s Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Department invited many members of those very demographics to the My Ballot My Future Civic Youth Summit at Delmar Fieldhouse.
The recent event saw several HISD juniors and seniors venture to Delmar Fieldhouse, where they were welcomed by booming bass and pompom-waving HISD staff, symbolically displaying the excitement and importance of voting.
The goal was to make sure these young people of voting age and/or soon-to-be voting age stopped associating voting and other civic responsibilities as “boring.”
“FACE knew that connecting with high school students about their civil rights wouldn’t be easy, so they set out to meet the students where they are and make the event exciting and fun, something they could keep at the forefront of their minds as some of them ready to vote in their very first presidential election this November,” said an HISD representative.
“I think it is important to expose students to opportunities to learn more about how they can participate in their democracy,” said HISD Director of Community Partnerships John Meade. “The decisions that we make today as adults affect everyone’s present and everyone’s future. This provides an opportunity for students to engage with community partners as well as other individuals to learn about civil education, learn about voting, and see how they can take action on their own to make a difference.”
Student participants were first invited to explore the second floor where different organizations were available to talk about civic engagement. Organizations like the Houston Area Urban League, the ACLU of Texas, and Closeup.org provided resources and educational materials, and students of age were even able to register to vote on the spot.
The Harris County Clerk’s Office brought real voting machines for students to try. For most of them, it was their first time seeing a voting machine. However, Scarborough High School student Elias Chanzy had an upper hand practicing, as he has previously worked at polling locations.
Event organizers made sure students knew they can apply to work at polling locations for $17 per hour, an opportunity that Chanzy said helped him understand the process.
“I think voting is really important because when you vote, it’s to change what you want to happen,” Chanzy said. “It’s what you want for your future and the generations that come after that.”
The summit’s main event was emceed by 93.7 FM the Beat DJ Kiotti Brown. Additionally, attendees were treated to a concert by local rapper and literacy advocate BuddieRoe.
Moreover, the Civic Youth Summit featured a panel of professionals from organizations including Next Gen America, Pure Justice, and the Harris County Clerk’s Office to answer questions in a fishbowl dialogue with select students where participants took turns answering questions submitted by attendees. The panel spoke about the importance of voting and how each election can affect taxes, schools, and city maintenance and serve as a reflection of the voter’s core values.
As well, students were able to address critical issues through research and debate and learned about the importance of voting, while also enjoying the music and fun.
For more information on HISD Family and Community Engagement, visit the FACE webpage here.
