Civic education and youth engagement
Young people in Memphis vote at some of the lowest rates in the country, and traditional civics class isn't closing the gap.
The gap in numbers
How Memphis compares
Root causes
Why young Memphians don't vote
Civics class doesn't connect
Classroom instruction focuses on memorizing structures, not on how to actually participate.
Registration barriers
Many first-time voters don't know how or when to register and miss deadlines.
"My vote won't matter"
Low trust in institutions leads to disengagement before any ballot is cast.
No community models
Without seeing peers and neighbors vote, young people have no social norm to follow.
"The Ballot Project works with young Memphians directly, meeting them where they are, not waiting for them to find a polling place on their own."
Civic engagement context, Problem-Solving Essay
The core problem
Why more civics class alone won't fix it