Did you know that children in Wilmette have already voted many times?
They voted for their favorite animals, snacks, and magical creatures during previous elections. And they helped suggest many names for our library mascots, and then voted for the names “Minty and Marshmallow” in overwhelming numbers. Even years later, kids have proudly shared that they voted for our mascots' names. As we shared when we announced our library beasties’ names, voting is a way for a group of people to make a choice. Everyone votes for their favorite choice and whichever choice gets the most votes, wins.
But how can we help make big events like the upcoming election understandable for young people and find tools to discuss it with them?
As a center for civic life in our community, inspiring lifelong curiosity, exploration, and discovery, look to your library for resources for civic engagement and important conversations.
Here are just 5 ways we can support you this election season - and beyond.
1. Attend programs hosted by your local library, civic organization, or community group. These are excellent opportunities to talk with your neighbors and get involved in issues that matter to you.
2. Let the books do the work.
Check out books about voting, civics, raising your voice, and caring for the community. There are so many wonderful, engaging, and informative children’s books that offer insights that center children’s experiences and questions about our world. Use reading aloud (or reading together) as a catalyst to explore your children’s questions, build on their previous knowledge, and deepen their understanding of democracy. These are also excellent books for children, teens, and adults to help make challenging or complex topics understandable. You can also check out our voting book list here.
These stories also offer many ways for children to raise their voices and participate in change in their communities. As Tufts University’s Center for Information and Research on Civic Engagement 2022 report states, “Social connections and a sense of belonging are foundational to civic engagement.” And for teens who are preparing to vote in their first election, there are incredible resources to dive deeper into the topic of democracy and civics - and how they can get involved.
3. Participate in our children’s voting booth.
Children will have a chance to raise their voices again and express themselves. Visit the library to help them research the candidates, cast their ballot, get their “I Voted” sticker, and explore the variety of activity pages we’ve provided. We’ll share the results after the election. These kinds of civics experiences have huge impacts. But you don’t have to take my word for it.
Research on young voters from Tufts University’s Center for Information and Research on Civic Engagement shows that weaving civic engagement throughout childhood experiences increases participation in voting. Recently, the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute found that civic engagement has both a trickle down and trickle up effect. Parents who vote tend to raise children who vote, but interestingly, civic engagement programs for children have been found to result in an increased level of parent voter participation.
If you can, take your children with you to vote. They’ll get their own “future voter” stickers! These experiences can become foundational memories, associating voting with a special experience with their caregiver.
4. Explore our library’s dedicated Voting page. Find the information you need to cast your ballot, from registering to vote, researching your ballot, printing a sample ballot, finding your polling place, and important dates for early voting and election day. You can also learn more from the Village of Wilmette's Voting Page.
5. Take a break. Election season can be stressful and it’s important to take care of yourself. The library offers many resources for exploring your other interests. Visit The Studio to make something cool. Check out a new item from our Library of Things. Borrow that book on your to-read list you’ve been meaning to try or check out a new show or movie on Kanopy or Hoopla. Get outside and explore our Storywalk at Vattman Park.
What suggestions do you have to engage young people in conversations around civic engagement?