Trolling for Civic Motivation

Plus: 9 Picture Books on Voting & Elections

Anytime I find myself mid-conversation about how parents need a confidence boost when it comes to civic knowledge, there’s always one part where I know I hit the right note. It’s usually around the Schoolhouse Rock mark, where we bond over “I’m Just a Bill” being the last thing most of us remember about learning civics (it holds up!!).

The other day a friend forwarded me a Harvard Gazette article titled “Your kid can’t name three branches of government? He’s not alone,” but the email subject was cut off after “Your kid can’t name three branches of government?” and so for a split second, it felt like being trolled, except the point of the article was that neither can most parents.

The nation’s report card is in, and most of us aren’t passing civics. Not parents, not kids.

As unifying as it is to realize we’re all in the same boat (the one where civic education was already defunded by the time we got to elementary school), it’s also a call to action to take small (micro) steps to empower the next generation to start earlier, and books are a powerful tool to break things down for both parents and kids.

Storytime with Civic EQ officially kicks off THIS SATURDAY in Los Angeles. If you’re local, you can register here.

We’re reading One Vote, Two Votes, I Vote, You Vote, which covers everything from the basic principles of democracy to the ways people vote and more. We’re also sending parents home with a great list of picture books about voting and elections curated by PBS Kids for continued reading. Check it out below!

And mark your calendars for September 28 for Jason Alexander reading Click Clack Moo, Cows that Type and Duck for President!!

If you’re in LA, don’t wait to sign up for the next storytime on September 28.

Spots are limited, RSVP here.

See you Friday for the next civics microdose,

Sarah