Sleepy Hollow Students Take Part in Generation Citizen's Civics Day

Four Sleepy Hollow High School seniors and three eighth grade students took part in Generation Citizens Civics Day on December 15, 2023.

Generation Citizen began in 2008 as a student project at Brown University. It currently serves more than 25,000 students a year in more than 150 schools across eight states. Generation Citizen leads advocacy efforts for legislation prioritizing equitable civic education, and fosters collaboration through youth leadership development.

“This was definitely life changing for our students. It was an inspiring vibe. Public Advocate Jumaane Williams gave the keynote, and all of the judges are from community action organizations,” Jessica Hunsberger, Social Studies Department Chair at the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns, said.

At the event, students presented their real-world civics projects to Community Advisors made up of students, community members, business leaders, Generation Citizen Alumni and public officials. The advisors posed questions for the students, took into consideration the issues raised, and spoke to them about their solutions.

This was the second year the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns attended the event. Students have been preparing for Civics Day both inside and outside of the classroom. As part of the project they went to a Sleepy Hollow Village Board meeting “This meeting fueled them and helped with their conversation on Civics Day,” said Ms. Hunsberger

The seniors focused on the concerns about cost of living. They learned about things that can’t be controlled like inflation and war. They focused on the Hispanic families living in the village and looked at programs available to them, such as the food pantry and childcare options. Their goal is to work with the school district and the village to improve communication.

The eighth-grade students focused on problems that affected their school environment and were the only middle school presenting. The students needed to choose between one goal that would be small and would benefit them now and one that would cause systemic change. “They realized that when they had to come to consensus that they would be creating a change that exists way beyond them being here,” Ms. Hunsberger said. “They chose to do more systemic change, which was more outdoor time.”

After the project, students spent time reflecting on their impact and role as a civic actor in our democracy. Participating in Civics Day helps students obtain the Seal of Civic Readiness, a formal recognition that a student has attained a high level of proficiency in terms of civic knowledge, civic skills, civic mindset and civic experience.