BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A youth summit at the Statehouse earlier this month focused on how to build civic engagement.
The first-ever civic health index was organized by the Secretary of State’s Office and will result in a report about how Vermonters engage in their communities, including voting, volunteering, and community connections. It aims to increase education and civic engagement, particularly among young Vermonters.
“Vermonters talk all the time about how important it is to have Vermont be a place that’s welcoming for our young people to stay at or to come back to after they graduate from college or trade school. And I think a good way to really encourage that is to invite them to participate and invite them to share their ideas and their thoughts and their hopes for the future,” said Vt. Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas.
As the November election approaches, Hanzas hopes the results will help concentrate voter registration efforts.