Civics Education (2020-21)

Mock Election at SMS
November 2020

LWVS coordinated with SMS social studies teachers across all grades to implement a school-wide mock general election in November 2020. This past spring (pre-COVID-19), middle schoolers had voted in person in a mock primary but the fall pandemic restrictions caused the election to move to a virtual/contactless format. Students were provided a specially-prepared, age appropriate Voter’s Guide and offered the same ballot choices that a registered voter residing at the SMS mailing address would have encountered at the polls.

SMS Mock General Election Results

868 students voted via “absentee ballot” on their computers.

President of the United States

  • Joe Biden 81.6%
  • Donald Trump 11.8%
  • Howie Hawkins 3.3%
  • Jo Jorgenson 1.7%
  • Brock Pierce 1.6%

U.S. House of Representatives

  • Jamaal Bowman 89.6%
  • Patrick McManus 10.4%

NY State Senate District 16 (uncontested)

  • Andrea Stewart-Cousins 100% 

NY State Assembly District 88 (uncontested)

  • Amy Paulin 100%

Other winners include: 

  • NY State Supreme Court Judge, District 9: Alexandra D. Murphy 32.8%
  • Westchester County Family Court Judge: Nilda Morales Horowitz and Michelle I. Schauer
  • Westchester County District Attorney: Mimi Rocah

Civics Jeopardy at SMS
Fall 2020

Civics Jeopardy 2021

All 7th & 8th grade classes and some 6th grade classes had the opportunity to test their trivia talents by playing a revamped Civics Jeopardy game on a new platform in a virtual environment facilitated by LWVS volunteers and SMS social studies teachers.

Can you name 2 amendments that expanded voting rights? Or what gives the federal government the authority to conduct a census every 10 years? If not, you may not be smarter than a middle schooler!

Action Civics Speaker Panel: Empowering Students to be Engaged in Our Democracy
Thursday, November 12, 2020

LWVS proudly sponsored a webinar program featuring: DeNora Getachew, the former New York Executive Director of Generation Citizen, a nine-year-old national nonprofit transforming how civics education is taught in schools. Additional Panelists included Martin Mintz (current New York Program Director of Generation Citizen), John Harrison (SHS Social Studies Department Chair), Steven Goodman (SMS Social Studies Teacher), and several student representatives from the SHS School Government.

LWVS Food for Thought: Action Civics, Thursday, November 12, 2020

Please contact LWVSyouthprograms@gmail.com for more information.