League Pioneers Hands-On Civics Learning Activities for Solano County

Where does a new 18-year old voter, or even an adult voter, go to find out exactly what their government is doing and how to vote and exercise their constitutional rights? It’s kind of like balancing your checkbook—everybody expects you to know how to do it, but nobody actually teaches it.

That’s why a new League of Women Voters of Solano County (LWVSC) program is essential for extending knowledge so that citizens can get involved and make informed decisions when it’s their time to fill out a ballot. Alice Fried, a community activist from Vacaville and a LWVSC Board member, initiated a program called DEMOCRACY MATTERS: A LWVSC CIVICS CLASS, bringing extended hands-on civics learning activities to middle school, high school and community college students.

“What’s missing in Civics education in the classroom now is information on the role citizens must play to make government work,” Fried explains. “We are a government ‘of the people, by the people, and for the people.’ Therefore, citizens need to know how government works to effectively participate, especially in local government which is the most impactful on everyday life.”

The LWVSC civics class, which has already been introduced to the Solano Youth Council (SYC) and Golden Hills Community School, consists of training on three League tools in keeping with its mission to encourage citizen participation in the local government process: an Observer Corps Training, emphasizing ways and means to civilly observe and engage in local government and board meetings; Voter Education Training on voter registration as well as how to use voting technology and equipment; and training on how to organize and conduct a Forum using civil rules of engagement and fairness techniques embraced by the historic League of Women Voters.

A two-hour Observer Corps training including a mock city council meeting was held on February 4 at the Suisun City Council Chambers with participating SYC students. The training was conducted by Fried with assistance from Solano Youth Coalition’s Project Coordinator Rebecca Floyd and Program Manager Johanna Nowak-Palmer; Suisun Mayor Alma Hernandez; and Suisun City Manager Greg Folsom. Others assisting in the training were Fairfield-Suisun School Board member Ana Petero; Vacaville City Council members Jeanette Wylie, Greg Ritchie and Sarah Chapman; former Vacaville City Council member Nolan Sullivan; and LWVSC member Sandy Coury.

The training included direct instruction on how local government affects daily life; why and how to attend a city council meeting to observe and provide input; and how to engage and communicate with elected officials and other community members.

Students were also informed on Sunshine Laws—the national Freedom of Information Act as well as the Brown Act that governs how California officials must conduct themselves to guarantee that their processes are transparent and open to citizens.

“You have a right to be involved,” said Nolan Sulivan during his sunshine laws slide presentation, “and you have an obligation to be involved.”

In a role-play scenario, SYC students served as city council members in a mock City Council meeting, headed by the Suisun City mayor Hernandez with Wylie serving as Clerk and City Manager Folsom re-enacting his job. Other officials and students asked questions and provided their own comments in a format exactly like what takes place at city council meetings. This gave the SYC students a real-life enactment of how to read an agenda and address the council members in a proper and constructive way.

At the request of Dr. Valerie Garrett, Director of Education Options at Golden Hills Community School, LWVSC Civics Classes were held in January at Golden Hills. Fried took students through lessons and activities on how government works including how to use critical thinking and public speaking skills to learn about issues and actions, and how to conduct themselves with elected officials. Among those giving presentations and interacting with Golden Hills students were school board member Petero, Suisun City Council member Princess Washington and Vacaville City Council member Jason Roberts.

Also, Solano County Assistant Registrar of Voters John Gardner and his team trained the students on the actual equipment used during Election Day, so students could see firsthand how a person registers to vote and how to fill out and submit a ballot through the scanner.

Gardner expressed how important their vote is, pointing out to the students that young voters have the lowest percentage of turnout in recent elections and some matters are being decided without their input. “One of the latest School Board bond measures funding the schools was passed by only 3 votes,” he said.

This education program is important according to Gardner because “if we can hook students early, then there is a higher chance they will stay involved.” He encourages them not only to vote, but to enroll in the county’s Poll Worker Program where they can help conduct the actual elections.

The LWVSC civics class with its hands-on activities has met with enthusiastic support from participating students as demonstrated by SYC students who will conduct its first student-led State of Solano Education Forum in April, 2023. And by elected officials. “It’s absolutely wonderful to see young people involved,” said Vacaville council member Wylie. “As a retired teacher, I understand the importance of a hands-on approach. So I say to LWVSC, keep it up!”

Vacaville council member Chapman, also a LWVSC Board member, recalls that during the Civil Rights Movement, the churches were the ones teaching people how to gather information about local elections and bring it back to their members to share and educate so that important decisions wouldn’t be made without their input. “That’s what this program does for students,” she said.

Fried hopes to expand this civics class to more high schools and community colleges in Solano County, as well as take it to LWV National so that it can be used in other communities around the country.