Voting Rights Teaching Toolkits Reaching Classrooms Across the Country

On Monday, August 31 we will mail 100 Voting Rights Teaching Toolkits to teachers in 30 states. These toolkits include lessons to help young people see voting as part of a broader effort to improve their lives and communities — and to see themselves as agents of change rather than spectators to politics. The National Education Association printed the lessons, voting rights organizations provided additional resources, and individual donors covered the cost of postage for 100 toolkits.

Our goal is to send at least 500 toolkits and reach all 50 states and territories. Your donation can make that possible.

Each request for a toolkit includes a note about how or why the educator plans to teach about voting rights from September through the election. Here are a few responses:

I want students to learn that voting is a right that many people gave their blood, sweat, and tears to earn and how we should honor their legacy through civic engagement. I want them to understand that they are an important part of upholding our multiracial democracy and be aware of the attacks on voting rights in recent years. — high school social studies teacher, Clayton, North Carolina

I teach a class that is examining the health of our democracy. Free and fair elections play a huge part in allowing the government to work for the people. — middle and high school social studies teacher, Williamsville, New York

My goal is to create a project based unit on youth civic engagement. I’m hoping students come up with inspirational projects they care about and will impact their communities for the better. — middle school social studies teacher, Olympia, Washington

My goal is to contribute to a high level of urgency for students to register and vote in the November election. — high school social studies teacher, Meridian, Mississippi

I teach AP Government and look forward to having more materials to reinforce the need to vote, the importance of helping everyone get to the booth, and on the challenges many citizens experience just trying to get their vote count. I’d like to provide my students with resources for making sound change; to use tried and true methods for positively affecting the government policies in their communities, state and country. — high school social studies teacher, Fulshear, Texas

We want students to better understand why the right to vote is important and how it plays a role in democracy. We live in a rural area and there are challenges faced by voters here. It is important that students understand how every vote truly does matter and how they (even not at voting age) can encourage people of voting age to see the significance of going to the polls. — middle school social studies teacher, Barre, Massachusetts

Each box includes: