At High Meadow School, we believe in educating students about democracy and the importance of civic participation at all ages. In this work, we aim to build a solid foundation of civic knowledge and foster respect for diverse perspectives, encouraging students to become informed, responsible members of their communities who understand that their voices matter.
Throughout the month, we’ve leaned into education around voting and voting rights in anticipation of the Presidential Election on November 5th, 2024. Early on, Head of School, Michelle Healy, hosted a “Coffee and Conversation” session with parents to talk about High Meadow’s approach to civics education and share approaches and resources to use in conversations with kids at home.
“Children take in a lot of our political culture, whether we are engaging directly or not,” Michelle reminded the group, noting that HMS educators are empowered with tools to address children’s questions and comments as they arise. Michelle emphasized High Meadow’s long history of centering advocacy for self, others, and community. She described many ways questions like, “What makes our community work?” and “How can we identify problems and address them together?” are woven across our curriculum and embedded in many of our school’s foundational practices.
Faculty spent time together discussing their role in students’ experience of the election, and as representatives of a 501c3 non-profit, non-partisan organization. Teachers are not at liberty to share their support (or lack of) for certain candidates, but can share the ways they approach civic participation and what’s important to them when they select a candidate.
In our classrooms, 7th and 8th graders have been especially deep in their study of American history and government, exploring through hands-on activities like using gummy bears to represent civics concepts, online resources like the games Branches of Power and Win the White House created by iCivics, and research, discussion and writing. This year’s cohort submitted reports advising their teacher whether or not to support a Constitutional amendment changing or abolishing the electoral college. 7th and 8th graders also put together an election information booth for the entire HMS community, and students and families had the opportunity to write Get Out the Vote postcards to swing states during our Fireside Friday bake sale.
1st grade is totally rocking the vote in class, working together to brainstorm non-partisan messages encouraging voting, and sending over 100 postcards to voters in Pennsylvania! 6th graders circled up after the Presidential Debate to discuss questions, concerns, and hopes, and our middle school Government Club has been using what they’ve learned to establish a bicameral student government at High Meadow, with class representatives and a cabinet.
The High Meadow DEIJ team created a resource guide for teachers about voting and the history of voting, including a spotlight on Fannie Lou Hamer, a leader in the civil rights and voting rights movement who is perhaps best known for her testimony at the DNC in 1964. Included in this resource guide are featured books about voting such as Voice of Freedom, Fannie Lou Hamer for middle schoolers, and I Voted!: Making a Choice, Makes a Difference, Grace for President, and Belle, the Last Mule at Gee’s Bend: A Civil Rights Story for younger readers.
We’re grateful to everyone in our community doing work to encourage civic participation and voting during this election season and year round. Early voting in our area runs through Sunday, November 3rd. Find your poll site here.