Georgia Becomes Fifth State to Join the Kid Governor® Program

Kid Governor®, the national award-winning civics program created by TheConnecticut Democracy Center at Connecticut’s Old State House, has welcomed Georgia to itsroster of affiliate states. This free program teaches fifth-grade students about state government,voting, and the importance of civic engagement through an authentic election for their state’sKid Governor.The Georgia Center for Civic Engagement will oversee this unique civics opportunity for fifthgraders across the state, kicking off the program in July for the 2022-2023 school year. Georgiajoins Connecticut, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and Oregon in this exciting election program thatemploys a hands-on educational experience to engage students and bring civics to life.Participating schools will each have the opportunity to nominate one fifth-grade studentcandidate for a statewide election that will determine Georgia’s 2023 Kid Governor.  Eachstudent who chooses to run for Kid Governor will identify an important community issue anddevelop a three-point platform with ways that fifth-graders can address that issue. Schools willrun primary elections to select their nominees, and each school’s winner will create a campaignvideo about their platform and submit it to The Georgia Center of Civic Engagement. Seven finalcandidates will advance to a statewide election that coincides with Election Day in November.Fifth-grade students across the state will watch and analyze the candidates’ campaign videosbefore casting a vote for the student they want to represent them as the voice of Georgia’s fifth-graders. The student with the most votes will become Kid Governor and will spend a one-yearterm working with The Georgia Center for Civic Engagement to implement their campaignplatform. The six finalists from the election will serve as the Kid Governor’s Cabinet, workingclosely with the Kid Governor and advancing their own platforms.Toolkits of free, custom-designed lesson plans and activities will guide classroom teachersthrough the program and teach students about state government in their state, the history andprocess of voting, and active participation in civic life.Dr. Randell E. Trammell, President and CEO of the Georgia Center for Civic Engagement,remarked, “We are most excited to launch the Kid Governor program in Georgia to expand ourcivic education programs into the elementary grades. Research shows that the earlier and moreoften that a student is exposed to civic skills, the more fully they develop in their civicknowledge, civic identity, and civic competencies. This program is definitely a value-add forschools across the state.” Trammell continued, “The GCCE is most appreciative to TheConnecticut Democracy Center for their support and is excited for this new partnership.”The Georgia Center for Civic Engagement exists to educate and equip students to be informedand active citizens. GCCE is committed to comprehensive civic education, a multi-disciplinaryapproach that provides opportunities for educators to sharpen their skills to further impactstudents and provides hands-on opportunities for students to engage in experiences that developtheir civic knowledge, encourage a stronger civic identity, and foster a lifelong commitment tocivic engagement. Current GCCE program offerings include model state legislature, modelUnited Nations, the Georgia Pathway to Public Service, and other immersive civic educationprogramming for middle and high school students. GCCE will expand its programs to includeelementary school students beginning in Fall 2022.“The Kid Governor program empowers fifth graders to change the world through informed civicengagement and we are thrilled that Georgia’s fifth graders will practice authentic civicparticipation this fall as they elect their state’s first Kid Governor,” said Brian Cofrancesco,Director of Kid Governor® at The Connecticut Democracy Center. “We look forward to thisexciting partnership with GCCE as they join our national civics movement.”The Connecticut Democracy Center created the Kid Governor® program in 2015 to teach fifth-graders about state government, elections, and the importance of civic engagement. The programnow includes affiliates in Georgia, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Oregon. Kid Governor® hasbeen recognized by the National Association of Secretaries of State, the American Associationfor State and Local History, and the Connecticut Council for Social Studies. The program ispresented with major funding and partnership support from CT Humanities and the GawlickiFamily Foundation, and in partnership with the Connecticut Council for the Social Studies.The Connecticut Democracy Center (CTDC) at Connecticut’s Old State House provides peoplewith a lifetime pathway to active citizenship and the tools to take civic action in their owncommunities. The CTDC seeks to inspire people of all ages to engage in civic life andstrengthen their communities.Learn more about the Kid Governor® program at www.kidgovernor.org.