Every Person Counts
http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/photo-gallery
In 2010, more than 25 percent of American college students admitted that they hadn’t registered to vote because they didn’t know how, they didn’t know where to go, or they simply missed the registration deadline (Fair Elections Legal Network).
Does this statistic surprise you? After all, a commonly held stereotype assumes that American college students are politically uninformed and apathetic.
Enter Jenice Jones-Porter, a faculty member at the Westwood College Annandale campus in Virginia. She has set out to eliminate that stereotype by helping students to not only understand how democracy works, but to actively participate in the process and make a real difference in their communities.
Empowering Students
“I believe in educating, engaging, and empowering students to participate in the advocacy process within the government system,” said Jones-Porter, who teaches Westwood’s American Government course and who was chosen as the Annandale campus Faculty Member of the Year in 2011. Her goal is to help students “get involved in the legislative process and understand that every person counts!”
How does she do this? First, she requires students to discuss current events in her classes, where she creates and fosters a safe environment in which students respectfully debate issues. Jones-Porter also requires students to identify their specific city, state, and national elected officials and to understand their own rights and privileges as constituents of these officials.
One privilege, for example, allows us to contact our elected officials about issues that directly affect us. So that’s exactly what Jones-Porter had her American Government students do earlier this year. They worked together to discuss issues they cared about, to develop proposals about these issues, and to arrange meetings to discuss their proposals with elected officials. One student contacted a local councilman to request that speed bumps be installed in his neighborhood, while another student met with a local board of education member to discuss measures for preventing school bullying.
Seeing Democracy in Action
On Feb. 4, Jones-Porter took her students to Capitol Hill, as she had done with two of her previous classes. Eight students attended this field trip: Gregory Burnham, Timothy Dozier, Rushawnta Dunson, Donald Pennyfeather, Stanley Philogene, Mamud Saccoh, Alie Samura, and Omar Youssef.
Students toured the U.S. Capitol, sat in the galleries of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and even had the opportunity to witness congressional members discussing legislation. But the highlight of the trip involved visiting the offices of two congressmen: Reps. Gerry Connelly (D-VA) and Danny K. Davis (D-IL).
On Feb. 4, 2014 eight students from Jenice Jones-Porter’s American Government class met with Rep. Danny K. Davis (front left).
The group met with the congressmen’s staffs to discuss topics the students were specifically interested in, including:
- The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act
- The Second Chance Act
- The Student and Family Tax Simplification Act
Students were able to ask questions, express their opinions, and thank the representatives for their roles in passing legislation that directly affects the students’ own lives.
Advocating on Their Own Behalf
“I want my students to understand, intellectually and emotionally, that laws that exist today and impact their present lives are the result of actions elected officials and decision-makers have made historically and/or currently,” explains Jones-Porter.
A proponent of active learning, Jones-Porter adds, “Students were not aware that they had the right to advocate on their own behalf to elected officials, and now they are aware and have done so.” She further reports that, as a result of this excursion, her students feel more empowered, more willing to contact their elected officials, and more interested in politics in general. Some even want to work on Capitol Hill someday!
So much for “apathetic” college students.
Learn more about Westwood faculty members> who share Jones-Porter’s passion for teaching.