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THE PESA POST
The latest news, views and announcements from
Parents, Educators/Teachers & Students in Action

December 8, 2022
For the Love of Community..and Basketball
PESA rewards students for their civic engagement
Elections are a valuable opportunity for youth across the country to make their voices heard and grow as leaders in our democracy. In this year’s midterm elections, 27% of young people casted a vote — making this the second largest turnout in nearly three decades!

PESA is proud to have contributed to these efforts with our work at University Pathways Public Service Academy and Fremont High School. In November, a cohort of students had the opportunity to be poll workers and support voting during the midterm elections. The students worked throughout Los Angeles by managing the opening and closing of the poll centers, processing voters before and after they cast their ballots, and answering any voter inquiries that came up during the day. 

Prior to their work at the polls, students participated in PESA's Civic Engagement Program where they studied The Origins of Democracy and American Politics: a mini-course that addressed democracy, voting, neighborhood councils, and community concerns. 

Itzlali, a senior at University Pathways Public Service Academy and one of the student poll workers, shared that “being a poll worker helped me understand why it's important to vote…when we vote we don't only vote for a person to represent us, we also vote for laws to be passed and for laws to not be passed and that plays a very big role in a lot of communities.” 

The time and dedication of these students were not only recognized by PESA and school staff but also the National Basketball Association (NBA). This year, the NBA scheduled all 30 teams to play on November 7th instead of Election Day to increase voter turnout and as a reward, invited our students and their caregivers to the Los Angeles Clippers game. 

“My experience at the basketball game was one of my top 10 favorite things I've done this year. I had fun and I had the experience to feel what fans feel like when their favorite team wins,” says Itzlali. ■ 

If you’d like to support PESA’s many social and educational initiatives, please contact us.