HISD’s Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Department invited a number of HISD juniors and seniors to the My Ballot My Future Civic Youth Summit at Delmar Fieldhouse on May 14. Students were welcomed by bouncing bass and staff excitedly waving pompoms – not exactly what might be expected from an event focused on “boring” adult concepts like civic responsibility and voting.

FACE knew that connecting with high school students about their civil rights wouldn’t be easy, so they set out to meet the students where they are and make the event exciting and fun, something they could keep at the forefront of their minds as some of them ready to vote in their very first presidential election this November.

“I think it is important to expose students to opportunities to learn more about how they can participate in their democracy,” said John Meade, Director of Community Partnerships with HISD. “The decisions that we make today as adults affect everyone’s present and everyone’s future. This provides an opportunity for students to engage with community partners as well as other individuals to learn about civil education, learn about voting, and see how they can take action on their own to make a difference.”

The students were first invited to explore the second floor where different organizations were available to talk about civic engagement. Organizations like the Houston Area Urban League, the ACLU of Texas, and Closeup.org provided resources and educational materials, and students of age were even able to register to vote on the spot.

The Harris County Clerk’s Office brought real voting machines that students could try. For most of them, it was their first time seeing a voting machine. Scarborough High School student Elias Chanzy had an upper hand practicing, as he has previously worked at polling locations. Students can apply to work at polling locations for $17 per hour, an opportunity that Chanzy said helped him to understand the process.

“I think voting is really important, because when you vote, it’s to change what you want to happen,” Chanzy said. It’s what you want for your future and the generations that come after that.”

The summit’s main event was emceed by popular 93.7 the Beat DJ Kiotti Brown, and after some fun competitions with prizes, attendees were treated to a concert by local rapper and literacy advocate BuddieRoe.

The Civic Youth Summit brought together a panel of professionals from organizations including Next Gen America, Pure Justice, and the Harris County Clerk’s Office to answer questions in a fishbowl dialogue with select students where participants took turns answering questions submitted by attendees. The panel spoke about the importance of voting and how each election can affect taxes, schools, and city maintenance and serve as a reflection of the voter’s core values.

For more information on HISD Family and Community Engagement, visit the FACE webpage here.