SAN JOSE, CA – On Wednesday, September 16, 2020, the Santa Clara County Board of Education unanimously approved and signed a resolution to support High School Voter Education Weeks.
Each year, the last two weeks in September, are designated as High School Voter Education Weeks to provide an opportunity for California high schools and their students to partner with county election officials to promote civic engagement and foster an environment that promotes lifelong voters and active citizens. The passing of the resolution is in alignment with the efforts of Secretary of State, Alex Padilla, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond’s, commitment to strengthening and motivating students to take an active role in civic duty.
The Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) has partnered with government agencies, schools, and community-based organizations to increase civic education and engagement through an initiative called “The Power of Democracy,” a project committed to strengthening civic engagement within the County. The SCCOE is in its fourth year of The Power of Democracy initiative, and during the 2019-20 school year, great gains were made towards elevating the authentic youth voice with a focus on equity and access.
“The SCCOE and Santa Clara County Board of Education are committed to serving, inspiring, and promoting student and public-school success by providing quality support to districts, schools, students, and communities. We are proud of the efforts being made to help increase civic engagement amongst the students in Santa Clara County and to stress the importance of both voting and being an informed citizen,” added Santa Clara County Board of Education President, Claudia Rossi.
To further promote civic engagement, students created public service announcements for the 2020 election with the League of Women Voters, American Association of University Women (AAUW), and the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters. The SCCOE also supported Youth Voice Live, a webinar series that uplifted and promoted youth participation in democracy and civic engagement.
In continuing its commitment to foster meaningful collaborations, the SCCOE supports local districts by creating a nonpartisan online toolkit for educators, including information on the importance of voting, how to pick a political party, pre-registration links, and other resources for fostering civic discourse. High School Voter Education Weeks encourages young people to play a vital role in our democracy by voicing their opinions and helping make decisions through the electoral process.
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About the Santa Clara County Office of Education
Working collaboratively with school and community partners, the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) is a regional service agency that provides instructional, business, and technology services to the 31 school districts of Santa Clara County. The County Office of Education directly serves students through special education programs, alternative schools, Head Start and State Preschool programs, migrant education, and Opportunity Youth Academy. The SCCOE also provides academic and fiscal oversight and monitoring to districts in addition to the 22 Santa Clara County Board of Education authorized charter schools.