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County elections official says Youth Empowerment Summit boosted Woodland student civic knowledge
Summary
Yolo County Register of Voters Jesse Salinas said the Youth Empowerment Summit (YES) has grown since 2018, drew Woodland’s largest city turnout among Yolo cities, and the program’s pre/post surveys show large increases in students' understanding and confidence about local government and voting.
Jesse Salinas, Yolo County’s Register of Voters (and county assessor/clerk/recorder), told the Woodland City Council that the Youth Empowerment Summit (YES) is an award-winning civic-education program that has reached hundreds of students and produces measurable gains in civic understanding.
Salinas said YES, started in 2018 and held at UC Davis this year, uses round-table discussions with elected officials and administrators, mock elections and nonprofit tabling to teach students about local government and civic engagement. He said 54 students from Woodland Unified School District attended the last summit and the program has impacted more than 700 students countywide since inception.
Salinas presented pre/post survey data showing large percentage increases in students who 'strongly agree' with statements about understanding the voting process, understanding local government functions, and feeling confident to contact elected officials; for example he cited a 284% increase in students who 'strongly agree' they understand how voting works and a 229% increase in those comfortable contacting elected officials after participation.
Why it matters: Salinas framed YES as a strategy to improve youth turnout and civic awareness, noting mock-election comparison results (students' responses versus statewide results for a sample proposition) and a goal to expand classroom curriculum in partnership with the county office of education.
