Civic engagement importance

Civic engagement 

By: Vanessa Madosh 

I had spoken to Megan Willard and Leah Waubanascum, Willard was more speaking on the exclusive side of things and Leah was speaking up on Native youth and how it is so important. Both sides are going in depth about why it is important for teens to be engaged with civic engagement. 

Willard is a civics teacher at Menominee Indian High School, “Getting involved with civic engagement while you’re still young is such a good thing to know when you’re at that stage of life”. Willard started teaching civics in Denver, Colorado, she shares that your voice matters and encourages people to vote. “Getting involved in government things are an amazing thing to get your mind on,” Willard states. Her view and her opinion make civics seem more important. 

Leah is a lunch lady for Menominee Indian Highschool, “Living on a reservation that has their own government in place is such a privilege and having the Indigenous youth getting to know and experience it is opening opportunities”. Hearing what Leah had to say about getting teens involved in civic engagement was really an eye opener.

Coming from an Indigenous person I think getting new experiences in the government and having kids my age actually participating in Legislative or even just sitting there and listening will get my people involved in more civic actions and, in the right mindset so they know that they do have a voice, and that it’s getting heard. 

Hearing both point of view on this subject was both a positive view on getting teens involved with civic engagement. Getting exposed to such things at a young age is highly looked on, it’s leading them into a good path. It’s a good thing to know civic engagement so you don’t go to vote and not know who or how you’re voting for.