EDUC 830 - Educating for Informed and Equitable Voting

Course Description

This course focuses on the critical role that schools and community organizations across grade levels and content areas can play in promoting informed and equitable voting as well as preparing youth to participate in democracy. Participants will learn about trends in youth voting, inequalities in turnout, and misconceptions about youth engagement. They will also explore ways to prepare students to be informed voters as well as what can constrain informed and equitable voting. In addition, participants will learn about resources and models for teaching about elections and voting so that they can identify approaches that will fit in their own educational context. Drawing on those models, participants will create a plan of action, gather feedback from peers in the course, and work to implement their plan.

Learner Outcomes

• Learn about trends in youth voting, inequalities in turnout, misconceptions about youth engagement, dynamics that constrain informed and equitable voting, as well as the educational implications for schools and community partnerships.
• Review the Educating for American Democracy framework and consider the ways it can be helpful as a tool and rationale for educating for informed and equitable voting.
• Explore resources, models, and case studies that show a range of ways that educators can teach about voting and elections as well as commit to high-quality civic learning.
• Identify and plan steps they can take in their own educational context that will promote informed and equitable voting.