Sixteen promising New York City high school students will serve as the 2024 NYC Votes Youth Ambassadors.
A cohort representing all five boroughs who will traverse the city sharing nonpartisan voting and election information, learn about local history and civic engagement, and gain critical tools to help mobilize other young people to get involved in democracy. This is the fifth year of the Youth Ambassadors program, which is part of the NYC Votes voter engagement initiative of the NYC Campaign Finance Board (CFB), a nonpartisan, independent city agency.
“… help the ambassadors become voting experts …”
Amidst a critical election year marked by widespread concerns about youth voter turnout, the Youth Ambassadors will host Get Out The Vote events at schools, places of worship, local libraries, and other public events across New York City. The program aims to help the ambassadors become voting experts with the knowledge and skills needed to help increase voter participation in their communities. This year’s ambassadors speak 9 different languages, and over half of the cohort can communicate in a language other than English.
By discussing local issues and spending time in communities that are often underrepresented by the electoral process, Ambassadors are preparing to become the next generation of community leaders.
“Engaging voters under the age of 30 is a priority for NYC Votes, and every summer our Youth Ambassadors continue to serve as trusted messengers for our democracy, encouraging their peers to show up at the polls in every election cycle,” said Tim Hunter, Press Secretary of the New York City Campaign Finance Board and a member of the first cohort of Youth Ambassadors. “Throughout this program, ambassadors will be given the opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of civics, learn from community organizers, and better understand the various roles that government plays in our daily lives. This is only the beginning for our ambassadors, and I am looking forward to watching their continued success.”
Ambassadors will participate in weekly meetings; learn history inside and outside the classroom including at museums and theater productions and with guest speakers; host voter mobilization events like canvassing, text banking, and chalking; and share critical non-partisan information at community events throughout the summer. As part of their capstone to the program, Ambassadors will participate in voter participation research projects for the CFB’s Voter Analysis Report. On August 14, the Ambassadors will lead their sixth annual Youth Voter Assistance Advisory Committee Hearing.
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“… shape young people into future leaders …”
“Throughout the years, I’ve watched this program shape young people into future leaders, and I’m looking forward to continuing that with this year’s cohort of Ambassadors. With the November elections coming up, NYC Votes Youth Ambassadors will work alongside community organizations to increase youth voter turnout in local elections,” said Olivia Brady, Youth Programs Manager for the NYC Campaign Finance Board. “This program will give them the tools to advocate for their communities and make our democratic voting process transparent and accessible for everyone in New York.”
Photo credit: HWM.
