Social Media Gets Students Excited About Party Platforms and Politics

Who says youth are apathetic about politics?

At Greenwood College School, students leapt at the opportunity to get involved in the recent federal election. One of the causes of this excitement has been to get behind the headlines and rhetoric through the use of social media. They were following the political leaders and riding candidates on Twitter, and through Facebook. They posed questions, received responses and engaged in thinking about how they would vote and why.

I wonder how many people 18 years and older can say they critically think about why they cast their vote.

Not only did they use social media to engage in learning, they contributed to the discussions themselves. Civics students created a website that was student run, student managed, and made up of student content. Some students represented the different parties and their platform, others adopted the role of journalists, and others took on the task of becoming “informed voters.” They uncovered what the issues are, where the different parties stand on these issues, and question how they will vote.

Now, these students are not 18, but they can vote. We held mock debates, made announcements, and presented videos and posted them to the school’s YouTube channel. Since the closing of the polls, we’ve tallied up the results at our school, and can now compare them with schools across the country and with the actual election results.

Student Vote National Summary Chart

National Elections Results

Our school most closely reflected the results of the Student Vote National Results. In our reflection on the entire experience, some of the students felt more engaged, and more empowered with their informed contribution to a national movement. Many commented that they felt that politics and voting is no longer a mystery to them, but also that voting is a difficult and important task.

As a teacher, it was great to see over 70 per cent of the school turn out to vote; however, it was even more encouraging to see Civics students have a 100 per cent turn-out. Questions that arose after the results were also encouraging as they reflect increased civic awareness and show that these students are questioning the best way to make change in their own spheres of influence.

I can say with confidence that these students, though no longer in Civics class, will be participating through social media in the Ontario provincial election in October, and that civic engagement at Greenwood College School is growing.

Thanks to Student Vote for putting on another exceptional and smooth voting experience for teachers and students alike!

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How do you engage students in politics at school? Is social media key in raising the future generation of informed voters? Share your views in the Comments section below.

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