Democracy Needs YOU to Join Us in Celebrating Civics Week 2024!
It’s Civics Week! Civics Week is a time each spring for schools across the city to celebrate youth voice, civic empowerment, and the importance of registering to vote.
The theme for Civics Week 2024, which is taking place from March 11–15 this year, is “Democracy Needs YOU!” The theme reminds us that democracy requires all of us to participate, regardless of age or voting eligibility.
How To Celebrate Civics Week
Register to vote!
Registering to vote is an important step on the journey to becoming an active participant in our democracy. Each year, NYC public high schools hold Student Voter Registration Drives for U.S. citizens over the age of 16. Make sure to check the voter registration deadlines and qualifications for 2024 so that you won't miss your opportunity to make your voice heard in this year's elections.
Enter the Civics for All Poster Contest
Each year, New York City students in grades K through 12 are invited to showcase their civic engagement and artistic talent by participating in our annual Civics for All Poster Contest. The annual poster contest encourages students to learn about important issues, realize why student voice matters, and understand and amplify why voting and active civic participation are important.
Submissions for the 2024 Poster Contest are open! Teachers and administrators can learn more about the contest on the Civics for All InfoHub page.
Check out our Civics for All Comic Group
Beginning as a collaboration between New York City Public Schools, creators Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey, and Good Trouble Productions, the Civics for All Comic Group has been growing since the first comics were published in 2020. Digital copies of our Civics for All comics are available online for anyone to read! After reading, students can also make their own comics that portray issues and historical stories that are important to them.
Find a new favorite book
Civic engagement and literacy skills go hand-in-hand! Whether they are stories about running for office, becoming a citizen, media literacy, community activism, or the right to vote, the Civics for All collection on Sora—the free, citywide Digital Library—has hundreds of e-books and audiobooks that students of all ages can enjoy all year long.
Put your game face on
There are so many great digital resources that teachers, students, and families can use both in and out of the classroom to make learning about civic engagement fun. iCivics games help students of all ages learn about different ways to participate in democracy and be an active citizen in a fun and engaging way. iCivics also has even more resources available online for educators, including their Elections hub, which provides resources that help students learn about ways to participate in democracy beyond just voting.
Letter Writing Campaigns and PSAs
Students can write to a local official about a topic that is important to them, or create their own PSAs to spread awareness about an issue in their community.
No matter how you choose to celebrate, we hope you have a fun and informative Civics Week! Share what you're doing with us on social media @nycschools with the hashtag #CivicsWeek2024.