Young People Shake Up Elections (History Proves It)

With and without the vote and throughout American history, young people have been a force to be reckoned with as they take action and stand in support of the issues that matter most. In 2020 this legacy will continue; millions of young people will be eligible to vote in American elections for the first time and countless more will likely participate in the electoral process in other ways. The Young People Shake Up Elections (History Proves It) video series from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History shares 10 stories of young people shaping and changing elections throughout American history.

Each video features a cast of teens telling two stories of young people impacting American electoral politics and reflecting through critical dialogue on what it means to be a young person participating in elections today. The videos end with a prompt to spark conversation among your students about the public issues they care about and how they might take part in the upcoming elections.

Generational Impact

Featured stories: Amy Kaukonen and Mattie Oblinger

Description: Amy Kaukonen and Mattie Oblinger showed the power of youth by stepping into new roles and speaking up for their generations.

Discussion prompt: Why will your generation matter?

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/W3YC6mkJVpk

Vimeo link: https://vimeo.com/393750404

Getting Informed

Featured stories: John Roy Lynch and Khmer Girls in Action

Description: John Roy Lynch and Khmer Girls in Action are models of ways that young people, in the face of significant challenges, fight for their right to be active participants in American democracy.

Discussion prompt: How will you participate in the elections?

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/c0vSwFerbEI

Vimeo link: https://vimeo.com/395247957

The Young People Shake Up Elections (History Proves It) video series was made possible by the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation│Sue Van.