Civic Club Highlight - Redmond

The second club we will be keeping up with is Redmond High School Civics Club!

Redmond High School Civics Club meets biweekly on Thursdays at 4:00 PM. During each meeting, the board will present an issue to the club members, which is followed by a discussion regarding what was presented. These discussions will consist of club members sharing their opinions, ideas, and possible solutions to the issues at hand. They will then have an activity that each club member will do which relates to the issue discussed. “These activities are something we try to keep fun and lighthearted to keep people engaged,” states the leadership team of RHS Civics club.

The latest meeting held by RHS Civics Club was about the topic of voting in America. This was certainly an important topic, as this topic was presented around the time of the presidential election. Voting and voting participation is a hugely important duty of citizens, and it is an important topic that especially youths should become more educated on. Youths are the future voters of America, and voting participation is still abysmal in America. America is largely behind most developed countries in terms of voter turnout, with, “the 55.7% VAP turnout in 2016 [putting] the U.S. behind most of its peers in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.” It is clear that voter turnout is a prevailing issue that, while we are seeing some improvement, still needs a huge amount of work to reach higher numbers.

Redmond High School Civics Club decided to incorporate this topic by first presenting the issue with an educational PowerPoint, then discussing the topic. They discussed the issues surrounding voting, and the discussions were largely focused on the topic of voter suppression. As for the activity, they encouraged those who are 16 and above to pre-register to vote if they are eligible to do so.

Overall, the leadership at Redmond High School Civics Club feels that their meetings have been going pretty smoothly, but are hoping to meet more often. They also hope that people will be more comfortable with participating and sharing their thoughts. They are thinking of having their next meeting be about issues around the world.

Club Instagram: @rhs.civicengagement

Written by Megan Yi