It’s time to mobilize–be a leader on campus or in your community!
Organizing an event or activity and directly engaging your local community or campus is one of the most effective ways to inspire action and bring attention to an issue. Many students think that being a part of the democratic process is challenging and complicated. You can help demystify the process and empower your peers.
We encourage you to get creative when planning your event or activity. Maybe you’ve noticed that many students aren’t registered to vote: host a voter registration drive that is attention-grabbing and exciting! Maybe there are a lot of students interested in the 2020 election who don’t know much about the candidates or issues: organize a debate watch party!
The possibilities are endless. Here are some more ideas to help get you started.
Go big. Get your school to commit to a campus-wide civic engagement initiative.
Several nationwide efforts and opportunities are already underway:
Is your campus participating in the All-In Campus Democracy Challenge? The All-In Challenge is a nonpartisan initiative that supports colleges and universities working to improve civic learning, political engagement, and voter participation. If your campus isn’t already involved, you can get started by finding a faculty member or campus official and working with them to fill out the commitment form.
Has your campus joined the National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement (NSLVE)? NSLVE helps colleges and universities analyze and aggregate their voter registration and turnout rates in national elections. If your campus isn’t on this list, here’s how you can get your campus to join.
Does your campus have an action plan for civic engagement? This can be in addition to or separate from participating in the All-In Challenge and NSLVE. The Students Learn, Students Vote coalition has created a comprehensive guide for how students can develop and implement these action plans.
Organize your own event or activity
Here are some ideas and resources to get you started:
Checklist: How to organize an impactful event: This short checklist walks you through the entire process, from setting your goals to following up after your event.
Host a public education event: Want to organize an educational event on campus? Learn how to host an event that brings your peers together to build people power!
Host a debate watch party: Get the snacks and gather your classmates- debates are an easy way to educate yourself so that you are as informed as possible for the next election. Want to go above and beyond? You can print out Science Rising BINGO cards and facilitate a discussion afterwards about what issues resonate with your peers.
Organize a voter registration drive: Some states have specific laws about registering voters. Make sure you know your states’ regulations before registering people to vote.
Looking for more ideas? Check out our complete list of Science Rising event planning resources on our website.
Don’t forget: Add your event to the Science Rising event calendar!
If your event is open to the public, you can add it to our event calendar so that other STEM students and science advocates can find it and participate. Plus, we’ll send you reminders and additional resources to help you make sure your event or activity is a success.
Did you complete this activity?
Well done! Have you also completed the two required activities for the Science Rising Challenge — registering to vote and having a plan to vote? Then congratulations! YOU have completed the Science Rising Challenge!
Share your achievement with your friends and let us know you’ve completed the challenge. We’ll send you a cool button to recognize your accomplishment and your participation in our democracy!