How Students Are Getting Involved in their NYC Communities
Gen Z is often criticized for spending all their time on their electronic devices and not engaging with “the real world.” However, researchers have found that teenagers are actually more involved in community service, compared to previous generations.
Teenagers have seen the effect of collective action in social movements through social media and in person events, and are inspired to continue to be civically engaged in their own communities.
For example, with the Just Stop Oil movement, social media allowed the organization to gain a lot of recognition, after two young activists threw soup on Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers.
Even Riverdale students were affected by this, as in the Climate Change Elective one group for their final projects created a poster in response to Just Stop Oil’s environmental activism, which can be found in classroom 3212. By having teenagers more involved in their communities, it allows them to create lifelong habits of civic engagement and form deeper relationships in their communities.
There are plenty of opportunities for Riverdale students to become engaged, especially in New York. Let’s take a look at a few!
Politics: In New York, you can pre-register to vote, even if you are just sixteen or seventeen years old. The organization Register for Alerts allows teenagers to get alerts on upcoming elections dates and polling information. Furthermore, congressional elections are almost always looking for fellows. Reaching out to a locally elected official to partake in an election campaign is an amazing experience. Many members of our community have participated in political campaigns, and it is an amazing experience where you can learn how to do in person campaigning, phone banking, and research on voter demographics.
In addition, signing a petition is an important way to help support a cause that you are passionate about. The website https://www.change.org/ allows teenagers to easily access and interact with issues important to them. From stopping animal cruelty in China to demanding responsibility on AI development, sign a petition and get involved now!
Social Justice: The District Attorney Summer Internship is a rigorous and selective internship where you will work with Manhattan DA for five weeks. I myself was an intern last year and she was able to sit in on court cases, create a policy proposal, and participate in mock trials, while learning from ADA’s. To apply, you must write an essay explaining why you are interested in criminal justice, and if accepted to the second round, you will also be interviewed in May.
Please find the link to apply here: www.manhattanda.org/careers/internship-opportunities/high-school-internship
Climate Change: If you are interested in learning more about climate change and our rapidly changing earth, contacting the Sunrise Movement is an amazing opportunity. They believe in the Green New Deal and are mobilizing thousands of young people to combat climate change. So join now!
Journalism: Our country is very politically polarized, thus misinformation is running rampant on social media and even on different news outlets. People on an everyday basis should stay updated on current events with unbiased non-partisan information. Therefore, the School of New York Times Pre-College is an amazing opportunity to apply to!
