Teaching the 2023 election is great practice for 2024

As educators prepare for the new school year, there is an important civic learning opportunity on the horizon. Before the political world descends on Pennsylvania in 2024, the Commonwealth is holding important local and judicial elections this November.

Teaching about the 2023 election is an important opportunity to engage your students in democracy at the local level. It may not have the publicity of a presidential election, but its results will have just as big of an impact on students’ lives.

C70 has free, nonpartisan resources to bring the election alive in the classroom.

Making civics education easier for teachers

In an independent survey, 93% of teachers feel that C70’s materials lead to higher quality civic instruction. 94% of teachers believe their students now feel civics are relevant to their lives.

From Sam Forman, the coordinator for the PA Civics coalition and a former teacher:

Teaching with C70’s electoral resources were supremely helpful. After years of doing all the work myself to craft units around elections, incorporating C70 into my curriculum made a world of difference. I am confident that my former students are very prepared for the 2023 and 2024 elections.

I know that for many civics and social studies teachers, all eyes are on 2024. I would recommend teachers see 2023 as an important first step in the process of learning about voting. Students have the opportunity to build foundational knowledge and civic skills they can carry into next year.

Building knowledgeable and engaged citizens takes work, and these resources really lightened the load for me. I am certain they will do the same for you.

Expanding out-of-school civic learning

Community organizations in Philadelphia are working together to provide out-of-school civic learning opportunities for young people, ages 5 through 18. Learn more about how these organizations look to bring this model to other communities across PA.

Increased broadband coming to PA -

Chance for digital literacy

Over the next five years, $1.16 billion dollars in federal funding is coming to expand high-speed internet access in Pennsylvania. This budgetary news increases the urgency for incorporating media literacy into classrooms as more students across the Commonwealth gain internet access. Media literacy is an important civic skill in the current informational environment, which is why we added a media literacy insert to our Elections and Voting curriculum (Section 3).