Communities and Elections
Our February 2017 CDLI Meet-up hosted a conversation related to exploring the role of communities in elections and the role of elections in communities. The following resources were highlighted to help communities become more connected to the political process and to support these three aspects of engagement:
Voter participation – increase access, decrease barriers (infuse element of fun)
Informed choice – raise ability to make choices based on broad community interest rather than individual interest, create opportunities for dialogue to increase knowledge of issues.
Communities making a difference need for ongoing engagement rather than short-term election time. Clarifying community vision and being organized will help to mobilize more effectively during elections.
Non-Partisan Resources:
Civic Literacy Curriculum
The Education Commission of the States has collaborated with a number of partners to develop a resource: Six Proven Practices for effective Civic Learning, outlining practical activities for the classroom along with links to quality resources.