While voting may be a familiar opportunity to most adults, it will be a new experience for those turning 18 ahead of the November 5th election.
Rob Meagher is an American Government and Civics teacher at Centennial High School in Champaign.
Meagher told IPM News Reporter David Pierce the school collaborates with the local chapter of the League of Women Voters.
This allows seniors to serve as ambassadors to educating their peers through workshops each semester on how to navigate such a monumental decision.
“The students present the material to the class about the importance of voting, [and] the ease of which to register to vote in Illinois,” Meagher explained. “They really try to push the civic responsibility part of it.”
At Urbana High school, staff have hosted forums for students to learn from and featured candidates ahead of the March primary.
Levi Molenhour is the Head of the Social Studies department. He shared how staff updated their curriculum for the senior Civics course so students can learn about politics through experience.
“Students in a group project, they prepare a campaign, they are choosing someone from their group to run as the class president and they’re creating flyers, t-shirts, buttons, Molenhour said. “All sorts of swag and promotional materials so they know what it’s like to be running a campaign”
Both Centennial and Urbana say the courses where students are receiving their knowledge on voting are required for seniors.