On Sept. 1, 2020 the EGUSD Board of Education passed Resolution No. 15 – High School Voter Education Weeks declaring September 14‐25, 2020, as High School Voter Education Weeks – encouraging schools throughout EGUSD to participate in programs and activities that help get eligible students registered to vote, while encouraging others to become informed and passionate citizens committed to being active voters once they reach voting age.
Just as the act of voting is such an important part of civic life, so, too, are the traits that make for an educated voter so critical – traits such as discernment, thoughtful deliberation, fair assessment, and the desire to be fully informed on the issues before casting a ballot.
In a recent survey of young voters conducted by Common Sense, they found that only about a quarter of 18- to 29-year-olds say they know where to get unbiased information about issues and candidates.
From deepfakes and misinformation campaigns to political ads and biased news coverage, it’s difficult to cut through the noise to find the facts. And with social media platforms allowing the spread of false information to go unchecked, it’s harder than ever to know what’s true—especially about the upcoming election and key issues.
We are excited to share that Common Sense just launched the Young Voter’s Guide to Social Media and the News: to help give all voters, and especially young voters, the resources and tools necessary to separate fact from fiction and make sense of election news and social media coverage. This new comprehensive guide provides everything from conversation starters to lesson plans to help parents, students, teachers, and community members:
- Get inspired to make a difference
- Consider all the ways you can make an impact this election.
- Browse lesson plans to help your students make sense of social media and the news.
- Get tips for talking to your teen about voting and the election process
“Media literate youth and adults are better able to understand the complex messages we receive from television, radio, internet, newspapers, magazines, books, billboards, video games, music, and all other forms of media.” – Media Literacy Project
Please also check out our EGUSD Digital Citizenship Media Literacy page for additional resources. As always, if you have additional resources to share, please drop a comment below.
