Soundoff! Story Booth Series
Amplifying the voices of students at Union Square Academy
Gen Z and Millennials already make up 49% of the American electorate, however only 17% of young people feel that lawmakers considered their voices when making national policy according to a DoSomething snap poll.
So, DoSomething launched its Soundoff! StoryBooth Series to amplify the voices of young people ahead of upcoming elections in 2023.
As we scale The Art of Democracy nationwide, we will collect and amplify stories shared by over 10,000 young people to build a National Youth Agenda, ensuring the voices of young voters are heard ahead of the 2024 election.
DoSomething interviewed young people about what they loved about their community, what issues concerned them, and what solutions they wanted to see their elected officials implement.
Here’s what we heard.
UNION SQUARE ACADEMY
NEW YORK CITY
At Union Square Academy in New York City, students explored their civic why over the course of four weeks, analyzed other students’ stories, and learned best practices for interviewing and sharing a story, before recording their very own. From safety to education funding, here are the stories they shared.
During DoSomething's time with the students of Union Square Academy, PBS visited to capture Soundoff! StoryBooth and our Art of Democracy programming in action as part of their series, “A Citizen's Guide to Preserving Democracy.”
The program also included commentary and insights from DoSomething's CEO, DeNora Getachew and Community Outreach Manager, Elena Callahan.
It only takes 2 minutes.
Ensure that your voice - and the youth vote - is a force to be reckoned with during this election!
SPECIAL SHOUT OUT
to All the Young People at Union Square Academy
Thank you to all those who participated in the Soundoff! StoryBooth Series and shared personal stories of their experience in their communities.
GUADALUPE · LUCIELLE · MAME DIARRA · SURY · SUFIAN
BRIAN · ESMERELDA · JULIANA · RAYHONA · GABRIELLA
We also warmly thank AP Government, Economics, and US History educator David Edelman for his dedication to fostering a robust civic engagement curriculum for the young people in his classrooms.
Make a difference in your community and add your vision to the future of our democracy