Youth Outreach and Civic Engagement (YOCE)

WHO and WHAT is the Youth Outreach & Civic Engagement Team? 

Team leads: Lynda Minor and Rhonda Kirts General email:  yoce.lwvcc@gmail.com. 

Members: China Huff, Leslie Sherman, Paula Strong
​Consulting/periodic: Kanittha Fay
 
The YOCE team encourages civic engagement by promoting voter registration and voter education to young people in the community. Voting is our super power!  

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Current Opportunities for High School Students: Civic and Voting Activities

We are excited to help local youth with an interest in voting rights, policy and politics find ways to pursue those interests. If you are a Champaign County high school student 16 years or older you may apply to be a League of Women Voters of Champaign County Student Ambassador. If you know an eligible student you may nominate them to be an ambassador.

 See the Student Ambassadors Program page for more information on nominating or applying. 

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Meet some of the 
​Student Ambassadors

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Upcoming LWVCC YOCE Events

After March 6, 2022, we should have dates of registration events at 4 schools: Champaign Central, Tolono-Unity, Urbana University and Urbana High Schools.

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Past LWVCC YOCE Activities

• Student Ambassador Training-  March 6, 2022 
  Ann Prisland from the Voter Ready Team provided a review of the Voter Registration 101 presentation and updated information for the June 28 primary election and November 8 general election.  In addition, the Student Ambassadors worked on each high school’s plan for their Voter Registration Event.

• Student Ambassador Training -  February 6, 2022 
  Kanittha Fay from the Communications Team offered a presentation on Marketing your event and having social media presence session for the Student Ambassadors. 

• ​Student Ambassador Training - January 9, 2021  
  YOCE Team members met with the Student Ambassadors in high school groups to plan voter registration event(s)

 

•  Student Ambassador Training - December 5, 2021
  YOCE team members reviewed the League’s Checklist on how to organize a high school voter registration event.
  
  
• Student Ambassador Training - November 14, 2021
  Ann Prisland offered Voter Registration 101 Training for Student Ambassadors.
  
  
• Student Ambassador Training - October 21, 2021 
  LWVCC President, Trisha Crowley and YOCE Team members provided an orientation to LWVCC for Student Ambassadors.
  

•  Applications for Student Ambassador program - September 21, 2021 
  ​Twelve applications were received by the deadline to serve as a Student Ambassador for the 2021-22 school year.  Two of the twelve students withdrew their application due to other time commitments.

• National Voter Registration Day at Parkland College - September 28-29, 2021. LWVCC volunteers helped Parkland College students register to vote.  National Voter Registration Day was September 28, 2021.  LWVCC's YOCE  team were at Parkland College on September 28 and 29, offering students the opportunity to register to vote.  Volunteers who helped were Marci Adelston-Schafer, Pat Babich-Smith, Trisha Crowley, Judy Elmore, China Huff, Murial Jones, Rhonda Kirts, Terry Maher, Diane Ore, Carol Packard, Ann  Prisland, Jenny Putman, Mike Sabacinski and Paula Strong. The group registered  27 new voters and updated 6 voters' addresses. For more information or questions, contact  yoce.lwvcc@gmail.com.  Below are some photos from these two days. ​

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• ​Parkland College Fall Convocation Thursday Aug 26 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Members of LWVCC's Youth Outreach and Civic Engagement Team (YOCE) and Voter Ready Team ​partnered with Champaign County Clerk’s Office to register Parkland College students at Parkland College’s Fall Convocation in the B-1 Lot of the Parkland College campus. Approximately 15 participants registered to vote for the first time or updated their addresses with the County Clerk. ​
• Why Vote? Video Challenge
• ​Roll to the Polls
• Read about 2020 High School Voter Registration efforts in the March 2020 Voter newsletter.