Title
Encouraging the Philadelphia Board of Education to adopt and implement a civic participation and voter registration program, as proposed by PA Youth Vote.
Body
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Department of Education declares that "Pennsylvania learners will be prepared... to be responsible, involved citizens"; and
WHEREAS, Civic participation and problem solving are foundational goals of our education system, and the School District of Philadelphia has committed that 100% of students will graduate ready for college and career, and that it is critical to the transition to adulthood to foster a culture of voting and to encourage and support the civic participation of students; and
WHEREAS, Increasing civic participation and voter turnout by the people of Philadelphia are critical in bringing resources and funding into our City, the poorest big city in the United States, and securing 100% of funding for great schools with zero deficit; and
WHEREAS, In 2019, the Philadelphia Board of Education acknowledged that voter registration is a critical component of the civic education of our students, and designated September 24, 2019 as "Voter Registration Day in the School District of Philadelphia," and encouraged all schools to use that day to educate students about the importance of voting and to support eligible students in the process of voter registration; and
WHEREAS, As approximately 8,000 students in Philadelphia public high schools become eligible to vote each year out of approximately 20,000 voters turning 18 in Philadelphia, and 175,000 in Pennsylvania, youth voters will have a significant impact on the future of the City and state; and
WHEREAS, It is not possible to register 8,000 students in a single day, and Pennsylvania law restricts registration of 17-year-olds until after the last election before the first election that they are 18 years of age; and
WHEREAS, It takes a permanent, organized, and concerted year-round commitment in every school to iden...
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