PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Khin Mai Aung, Mid-Atlantic Executive Director of Generation Citizen
1:57:31
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3 min
Khin Mai Aung, Mid-Atlantic Executive Director of Generation Citizen, testified about their organization's efforts in voter education, engagement, and registration activities in New York City schools. She highlighted their RISE vote program and their focus on targeting high schools, particularly in the Bronx, to increase voter registration rates among young people.
- Generation Citizen received $500,000 in funding from the city council for their youth civics education programming.
- The organization created toolkits and resources for 11th and 12th grade classrooms to inform, educate, and register 17 and 18-year-old students for the upcoming 2024 election.
- They are targeting 23 NYC public high schools and 7 high schools in the Bronx, which has lower voter registration rates for 18-year-olds.
Khin Mai Aung
1:57:31
Perfect.
1:57:33
Thank you very much for this opportunity.
1:57:34
This is this admit testimony on behalf of generation citizens at the New York City City Council, high of education today.
1:57:42
First of all, I very much enjoyed the presentations of the students just now.
1:57:46
I'm Kim Mayang.
1:57:47
I'm the Mid Atlantic Executive Director of Generation Citizens.
1:57:51
We are our community based civics Education.
1:57:53
Secondary students apply social studies learning to the real world by studying and advocating on an issue of importance in their communities.
1:58:01
1st and foremost, we're thankful to the city council for its $500,000 investment this year in our programming in youth civics education, student civics education, and New York City Schools initiative, which we have been fortunate to receive since 2017.
1:58:17
Today, I'm thrilled to testify about our voter education engagement and registration activities in New York City during this important election year to inform this hearing on in in excuse me.
1:58:29
On engaging students at the community campuses in voting and civic activities.
1:58:34
Many of our students in high school, enroll in tuning upon graduation, and some are already taking early college classes at tuning campuses as a result of early college enrollment programs.
1:58:48
Through generation citizens, RISE vote program.
1:58:51
That's an acronym that stands for registering, informing, supporting, and empowering vote.
1:58:58
4823 voter activation campaign.
1:59:00
We've created tool kits and resources for teachers.
1:59:04
In 11th 12th grade classrooms across the city in public schools to inform, educate, and register seventeen and eighteen year old students who will be eligible to book in November of 2024 for this important election.
1:59:20
Building on our work this spring and high school classrooms, we're rolling out a toolkit through our fall professional development programs as well as dedicated training.
1:59:29
In particular, we're targeting 23 New York City public high schools I'm sorry.
1:59:35
New York City public high schools as well as engaging.
1:59:37
7 high schools in the Bronx selected because the Bronx has lower voter registration rates for eighteen year olds at 18.6% relative to New York City's or other boroughs with resources to run additional school based education and registration events.
1:59:54
We would love to work more closely with Blue CUNY and the city council to a expand the reach of our resources this spring leading up to the election the next month and a half.
2:00:05
Generation citizen again is incredibly thankful for the city council's renewed funding each year despite myriad challenges and budgetary concerns in the last year.
2:00:14
And we hope to continue partnering with the council and to continue bringing the high quality civics education as well as voter education and engagement to our city schools and to Q And A.
2:00:25
Thank you for considering my testimony.
Eric Dinowitz
2:00:28
Thank you for your testimony.
2:00:29
Thank you for your work and focusing on the Bronx, which as you pointed out, needs a little more targeting when it comes to voter engagement and voter registration.
2:00:39
So I appreciate that work.
Khin Mai Aung
2:00:41
Happy to do it.
Isabel Torres
2:00:42
Thank you