How To Help Students Become Active Citizens
Preparing students for active citizenship is part of Bowdoin’s mission, and any staff or faculty member who works with students can make a difference. Here are some simple tactics:
- Ask students about their plan to vote (where/how/when, and deadlines). Invite ineligible students to mobilize voters through the love vote.
- Ask students how they are participating in democracy, beyond voting. Following up on the question,
- If they express ambivalence, remind them that their voice/vote/involvement can make a difference (eg close elections, local needs to make democracy work)
- If they express uncertainty about choosing which state they want to vote in, we have a tool to help them decide
- If they are unsure how to proceed, our TurboVote tool makes it easy, and we are happy to answer questions.