Faculty Civic and Election Engagement Resources

Practical information on how to vote and the voting process

Elections and Voting

This is the “go-to” page where you can find information on how to register to vote, where and how to vote, and what is on your ballot. You can also check your registration and track your absentee ballot here.

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How to vote

This module contains links to a “How to Vote” voting template and tips on encouraging faculty on your campus to integrate virtual and in-person democratic engagement activities into the classroom.

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Resources on voting rights and the importance of voting

Why voting matters

This module encourages students to explore and articulate their personal connection to voting, the concept of the “whole vote,” and the role of voting in democracy. Contains links to relevant materials such as articles from major news sources and videos.

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The History of Voting Rights

This is a 45-minute lesson plan that addresses key constitutional amendments, laws, and court cases related to voting rights. Includes an annotated timeline.

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The Truth About Voting

Here, you’ll find a 45-minute lesson plan that tackles 5 myths about voting.

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RESOURCES ON CIVIC AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Digital Civics Toolkit (The MacArthur Research Network on Youth and Participatory Politics (YPP))

YPP has created several modules related to various aspects of community and civic engagement. Each module contains conversation starters, readings, specific classroom activities related to each question, and background materials for faculty who would like to dig deeper. The modules were designed for high school students but can easily be adapted to the college classroom.

Participate

This module prompts students to explore the following questions: 1) Who do you see as your face-to-face and online communities?; What civic issues do you hear people in your community talking about most? And 3) What civic issues are you curious about that you’d like to understand better and get involved in?

Investigate

This module prompts students to explore the following questions: 1) Why is credibility important? How can I judge the credibility of civic information online? 2) How can I reflect on my biases when investigating civic issues? 3) How do I understand and analyze visual forms of civic information online? 4) How do I investigate a topic and present what I have learned?

Dialogue

This module prompts students to explore the following questions: 1) What are the opportunities and challenges of in-person vs. online dialogue about civic issues? 2) What do good and not so good online discussions of civic issues look like? 3) How can we make good online dialogue about civic issues happen?

Voice

This module prompts students to explore the following questions related to sharing civic content in online spaces: 1) How do I find my story and express it in ways that are civically meaningful? 2) What do I choose to share publicly and what do I keep to myself? 3) As I express myself, how will my message spread? 4) How do I manage the ‘digital afterlife’ of my voice?

Action

This module prompts students to explore questions related to taking action on issues that they care about: 1) What can we learn from social change efforts from the past? 2) What does it mean to take action around social issues in the digital age? 3) Is online activism “slactivism” or just another way to take action? What are the risks? 4) How do we determine a course of action using social media?

Resources for incorporating discussions of current issues into your classroom

Teaching Ideas and Resources to Help Students Make Sense of the George Floyd Protests

Includes lessons on the history of policing in the US, protest and its role in democracy, leadership in crisis situations, the role of the media, misinformation and disinformation, taking action, and taking care of one’s mental health during these times.

Deliberative Dialogue Discussion

This page contains resources that can be used to incorporate discussions of current issues into your classroom. It includes links to several guides for conducting dialogues and specific topic ideas from a variety of sources.