How to Get Kids Involved in Local Government
Ways to make a difference at the local level as a family
Right now, everything can seem dire. I couldn’t stop thinking this morning in my shower about the recent terrible Supreme Court decisions that weaken how the federal government can regulate corporations, makes it constitutional to make sleeping on the street illegal, and hands over ridiculous power to the President. It’s easy to feel helpless.
But we can still work towards a better world for everyone. One way to do that is to get involved in local government. The reason why the people who are in power are in power are because they got started at the local level. Being involved in local government allows you to have a say. It’s far more likely you will see the results of your influence than on the state or national level. I’ve been doing bicycle advocacy work in my town for about a decade now and while the change has been slow, it has been huge over time.
You can also get your kids involved! The first step in teaching kids how to build commnunity and be good citizens is to model it for them. From climate change to racist policing, getting involved in local government is one of the biggest ways you can teach kids to contribute to the collective good.
Point out or engage with local elected officials in public events
Every year, our town has a massive Memorial Day parade, with a zillion community groups participating. Taking their place at the beginning of the line, our city council members ride along in old-fashioned cars. As we see them go by, I point out who they are and why they’re in the parade to my kids. Often, government can feel very far away, full of people you’ll never meet. Helping our kids know that our neighbors make policy makes it more accessible.
Research your city or county’s policy or status on an issue
Pick an issue that your family is passionate about – school funding, book banning, LGBTQ+ issues, water quality, almost anything! – and look into the city or county’s record on it. Many cities have their records publicly available on their website. If they don’t, your local librarian can often help you find them. (Knowing how to access public records is generally part of the job.) Looking up this information also teaches your kid research skills – bonus!
Envision your ideal neighborhood or city
Often, thinking about what you would like things to be like can be empowering. Brainstorm with your kid what your ideal city would look like – how it would be set up, how you would get from place to place, what kind of stores there would be, what kind of events or community activities would exist. Think about how that ideal reflects your own values and assumptions, both good and flawed. What stands in the way of the city being like this? What actions could you take to change it? (For a environmental-focused version of this activity, check out the last chapter of my book.)
Write a letter to your city / county council
If you’ve found an issue you care about and it’s something the city or county council can do something about, write them an email! Local government officials are way more likely to read your messages and actually listen than national leaders who get thousands of messages a day. They may not have ever recognized the problem or seen how they can help. Bringing it to their attention can make a difference. For a climate-specific version of this activity, check out the Climate Justice Family Toolkit.
Attend and/or speak at a city/county council meeting
Just watching a city council meeting – who speaks, what gets discussed, what’s seen as important – can provide a lot of insight. In many places, you don’t even have to go in person. Our city council streams its meetings on the local TV channel and online. If you really want to go beyond writing a letter, you or your kid can actually speak at a city council meeting. Our council has hearings regularly on policy issues, where individuals can comment for three minutes or less. They also have “open forum” at most meetings where citizens can sign up to comment on a topic the city isn’t actively considering at the moment. It’s incredibly good practice and experience for public speaking.
Go to a neighborhood or advisory board meeting
Another way to find out what’s going on is to go to a neighborhood or advisory board meeting.
Most neighborhoods or HOAs have meetings where they discuss the issues facing the neighborhood, from pedestrian safety to what color someone can paint their shutters. Admittedly, they can be terribly dull, but they’re worth attending once. It’s also useful to see how racism and classism can arise in veiled (and sometimes not-so-veiled) references in these meetings. It’s probably the best to attend one with a specific issue you have in mind that you’d like to discuss.
Many cities and counties have advisory boards or committees. I’ve been a member of our bicycle advisory committee for 12 years and during the early days of COVID, we switched to virtual meetings. My older son joined me for a number of them and he found it very empowering for adults to take his ideas, personal experience, and input seriously. It was huge when we learned that they would be fixing the intersection that annoyed us every day on our bike ride into school, in part because of our input.
Check out Mayor for a Day programs and internships
Some states and cities have “Mayor for a Day” programs, where students can write an essay about policies they would change. The winner then gets to shadow the mayor for the day. For older kids, internships may be an option. Most of the time, government internships are only available to students who can live in a major city like Washington DC. But I interned with my suburban hometown’s environmental specialist in high school and had a great experience. They were way more flexible in terms of schedule than a big city government would be. They even paid me, which was unusual at the time.
Has your family ever gotten involved or engaged in local government?