HOUSTON LEAGUE RECEIVES
NATIONAL AWARD FOR
OUTSTANDING YOUTH ENGAGEMENT

As many elections officials begin preparations for next year’s presidential election, League of Women Voters national president Elisabeth MacNamara announced that the Houston League will receive a Smackdown Your Vote! ® Democracy Award in recognition of its outstanding work to engage young voters.  

“With Election 2012 right around the corner, this award announcement could not come at a more critical time,” said MacNamara. “The outstanding work of the Houston League volunteers represents the best of what our organization is doing at all levels to ensure young people, especially those living in underrepresented communities, have the information they need to cast a vote next year.” 

The awards were made possible through the League’s longstanding national partnership with WWE through Smackdown Your Vote! ®, an effort to encourage young people to vote and become active participants in their democracy. The League of Women Voters of Houston Education Fund will receive grant funds to expand their youth engagement efforts in 2012. 

YOUTH ENGAGEMENT, An Overview

The League of Women Voters of the Houston Area prioritizes its youth engagement program, which consists of high school classroom and assembly presentations, special events and individual service projects.

Over 50 volunteers from Houston area colleges and universities empower the League’s youth engagement program. Volunteers encourage and register thousands of young people to vote. For every 4 people that our volunteers encourage, one unregistered young person completes a voter registration card. The League focuses on speaking to small groups of young people, between 35–50 students at a time. 

To enrich the social studies curriculum, the League conducts voter education and registration presentations in local high schools and universities, including: Lone Star College, Rice University, Clear Creek, Aldine, Eisenhower, Kingwood, Sharpstown, Carver, DeBakey, Wheatley, Sterling, Nimitz, Furr, REACH Alternative School, Lee Goose Creek, MacArthur, Pasadena Summer School Program at Pasadena ISD, Austin, Westside, Humble, Sam Houston, Bellaire, Westbury and University of Houston.

The League uses online resources to continue involving the newly registered voters in the election process. At youth engagement high school visits and special events, volunteers distribute cards with the Houston League’s websites: the Harris County Voters Guide at Vote411, Facebook.com/LWVHouston, Twitter.com/LWVHouston, and LWVHouston.org.

To request a high school or college registration presentation, please email the director or call 713.784.2923. 

Internship Opportunities for High School and College Students

Please click here to download the Youth Engagement Internship Information Letter. To learn more about internship opportunities, please email the president or call 713.784.2923.

We believe that a lifelong interest in public affairs may well begin in the course of an instructive high school or university experience. We are therefore pleased to offer a range of internship opportunities to high school and college students.

All internships are uncompensated positions. Course credit and course requirements are managed entirely at your discretion. League staff and officers provide evaluations and progress reports to teachers and professors. A student can, with faculty approval, be assigned to multiple projects.