Youth Civic Engagement program seeks applicants
After an incredibly successful inaugural run in 2021, and a 2022 program that built on that success, Stetson University College of Law, in partnership with the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, is set to launch the 2023 Youth Civic Engagement Program. Organizers seek applicants for the program, which is set to take place over six days in July, from July 17-22.
Local students aged 15-17 are eligible, and the selection process prioritizes students of an underrepresented race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or socioeconomic status. The program empowers students with the tools and skills they need to foster positive change in their communities and the world at large through in-depth lessons in local government, social justice advocacy, and community engagement. The deadline to apply is Friday, June 16.
Organizers say they felt the need for such a program in the wake of decades of deep cuts to civics education in public schools, which can have a profound effect on public policy and justice.
“As a steward of legal education and the principles of justice, Stetson Law is uniquely positioned to empower local high school students to learn about and advocate for civil discourse and human rights through our societal structures – structures that they engage with every day,” said Carmen Johnson, Stetson University’s Executive Officer of Diversity, Collaboration, and Inclusion. “We’ve found that students throughout our local communities are passionate and eager to connect around these concepts.”
There is no cost to take part in the program; those chosen will be paid a small stipend.
Inspiring future changemakers
This year’s events will take place both in-person and virtually. Participants will attend classes on Stetson Law’s historic campus, where they will interact with faculty, local attorneys, judges, and other professionals.
“This type of initiative is an important component of our greater university’s commitment to promoting social responsibility and community engagement, and we are thrilled to continue this work in partnership with the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg,” Johnson said.
With 32 students, the inaugural edition of the program was a remarkable success. Among key takeaways for alumni were the value of voting, the importance of human rights, and how to engage in civil debate.
Kuiper Elza, a student from St. Petersburg High School who participated in the program in 2022, said they learned new ways to be an activist.
“I found it really interesting to learn different tools for how to be an activist and advocate for yourself and communities – and different ways you can educate yourself, educate other people,” Elza said.
What the Youth Civic Engagement program looks like
Law Professor Christine Cerniglia led three modules. One included an activity featuring a hypothetical “island” where students built a society from the ground up.
“They took off with it,” she said. “It was awesome.”
The other two modules she led were “Human Rights and Global Citizenship” and “Mindfulness and Civil Dialogue.”
Law Professor Judith Scully led “Advocacy, Activism and Social Change,” which introduced students to the critical role young people play in social progress. It stressed the importance of voting and showed students how to be better advocates.
“Students really believe that when they’re ‘right,’ they need to get their point across,” she said. “I think that when they learn that the point of advocacy and the point of activism is to get other people to understand their position – not to be ‘right,’ not to ‘win,’ but to actually help others understand the issues, I think that was a big ‘aha’ moment for many of them.”
The program will take place July 17-22 between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Prospective participants are invited to complete this application by Friday, June 16.
Post date: May 12, 2023
Media contact: Kate Bradshaw
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