Generation Z—the most diverse generation in American history according to a 2018 report released by Pew Research Center—will leave their mark on the 2020 election. This will be true whether they are eligible to vote or not. Philadelphia will  be on the front lines of that fight, looking to harness the power of youth through First Vote 2020.

First Vote 2020 is an initiative of the Office of Youth Engagement, Philadelphia Youth Commission, and Committee of Seventy, with the support of the Mayor’s Office of Education, School District of Philadelphia, and Office of the Philadelphia City Commissioners. First Vote 2020 will hold spaces for high school students to better understand the voting process. It will also allow young people to learn why civic engagement is important, develop ways to talk to loved ones about their impact, and discover opportunities to work or volunteer throughout the 2020 election cycle.

Based on the First Vote North Carolina model, Philadelphia’s iteration of the initiative will bring a slate of 12 unique trainings into the classroom. Students who are serving as First Vote Youth Ambassadors will dive deep into subjects including:

  • How to vote and why it matters
  • Political parties and ideologies
  • The role of media in elections

Facilitators will even support students in developing a school-wide election of their own at each participating location!

First Vote 2020 will engage 9th-12th graders from a small cohort of high schools including: Murrell Dobbins, South Philadelphia, Kensington Health Sciences Academy, and George Washington high schools.   

Facilitators at the participating schools will:

  • Provide information and training on how to register people to vote. 
  • Encourage voting age youth to vote in both the primary and general elections.
  • Work with youth to produce digital content with elected officials about their first voting experience, what being an engaged American means to them, and why it’s important that young people learn about civics and voting. 
  • Partner with youth-based and community organizations to host voter registration drives in high schools and recreation centers ahead of voter registration deadlines on March 30 and October 4, 2020.

Though a large percentage of Gen Z will be ineligible to vote in 2020, they are affected by uninformed voting or voter apathy among adults and even their older peers. First Vote 2020 will not only help voting-age youth participate in their first election, but it will also provide Philadelphia’s young people an authentic avenue to engage peers and adults in their lives during the months leading up to the 2020 election. 

For more information, contact Jeanette Bavwidinsi at jeanette.bavwidinsi@phila.gov.

Learn more about the Office of Youth Engagement.