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It's election day! An HUGELY important day for our democracy, and a slightly confusing day for teens under the age of 18, who can't vote! So teens, if you're feeling today, of all days, like your vote doesn't matter check out this essay from a fellow teen on ways to impact the democratic process now and in the future. "My experience underlines that civic engagement does not have an age requirement. Everyone, at any age, can educate themselves and others about important issues by building relationships and having conversations with their peers and family."
Essay: Even before voting age, we young people can impact our democracy
Being under 18 doesn't mean you can't canvass, protest, and talk to adults about the issues that matter to the youth.
Have you ever seen the PATCH Teen Consultants (previously known as Youth Advocates) in action?! They are doing pretty incredible things to impact change in their local communities. In 2023-2024 we had Youth Advocates across the state of Wisconsin and they lent their voice to 19 (NINETEEN!!!) different projects and initiatives directly related to adolescent health and well-being. We think is it INCREDIBLE that they made sure youth voices and perspectives were represented in these spaces!Keep an eye out for even MORE impact this year! And reach out to your local Teen Consultant Program to schedule consulting sessions, too! @wisconsinpatchprogram @PATCHWoco This is just one piece of our Year in Review! Check out the #linkinbio for more details on our 2023-2024 programming!