What the Data Actually Shows About Young Voters
Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based Strategies. Classrooms Where Every Child Thrives.
04/15/26
•1m
About
Comments
Featured In
In this short, civics educator and doctoral researcher Colleen O'Brien, Ed.D., (Co-Director of Civics for Colorado) shares how a recent Georgetown University survey highlights a crucial point: 90% of youth believe understanding the us government is important. This educational video explores how this strong interest in civics debunks the myth of student apathy. It's clear that fostering democracy begins with informed education, not just textbook knowledge.
In the full part 1 episode, we cover:
- Why civic anxiety (not apathy) is the real barrier to student participation
- How real civic experiences build student confidence and engagement
- Programs like We the People and Project Citizen that are transforming classrooms
- What Justice Anthony Kennedy told a room full of teachers about civic discourse
- Why civics education is uneven across Colorado and what it costs communities
Watch, reflect, and share Part 1 & Part 2 of our @schoolutionspodcast S5E33 interview.
📌 Subscribe for more tools for empowered educators, teacher mentors, school counselors, instructional leaders, and anyone committed to thriving students and school change.
📚 Chapters
- 0:00 The myth of student apathy
- 0:12 What Georgetown's 2025 study actually found
- 0:28 90% of students want to know how government works
- 0:42 93% across party lines agree
- 0:55 Why data matters for funding civics education
- 1:05 What 3,000 students taught one educator
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
📧 Connect with me if you’d like a thought partner to help you cultivate curious learners who advocate for what they believe in.
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
#Schoolutions #SchoolutionsPodcast #ForeverGettingBetter #CuriosityDriven #evidencebased #civicseducation #StudentEngagement #ActiveLearning #InspiringStudents #EffectiveTeaching #InstructionalStrategies #TeachingTips #InnovativeTeaching #InclusiveTeaching #TeacherCoaching #InstructionalCoaching #ProfessionalDevelopment #SchoolLeadership #EducationLeadership #SchoolCulture #FamilyPartnerships #CulturallyResponsiveTeaching #EquityInEducation #InclusiveClassrooms #ProKidMindset #WholeChild #StudentSuccess #EmpoweredEducators #EducationTransformation #TeacherImpact #ClassroomBelonging #StudentMotivation #ScionsPodcast #CivicsForColorado #DemocracyEducation
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
Previous Episode
Part one of my S5E33 Schoolutions conversation, Colleen O'Brien, Ed.D., discusses the critical role of civic education in fostering informed citizens. She argues that providing students with real civic experiences, not just textbook definitions, can shift their engagement from passive observation to active participation.
Some Episode Mentions:
- Dr. Diana Owen, Georgetown University
- Civic Education Research Lab (CERL)
- Justice Anthony Kennedy
- Center for Civic Education
- Common Cause
- Civics for Colorado (formerly C3LE)
- Colorado Youth Advisory Council (COYAC)
- iCivics
- National School Reform Faculty (student work protocol)
- We the People
- Project Citizen
- Citizen Nation
- 90% of students say it's important to know how government works
- More Information & Upcoming Events from Colleen
⏱️ CHAPTERS
0:00 – Introduction: Anxiety vs. Apathy in Civics
1:00 – Meet Colleen O'Brien
2:00 – The Research: 90% of Students Want Civic Education
4:30 – Core Beliefs of Civics for Colorado
5:45 – The Voting Booth Moment: A Story About Student Confidence
8:30 – Why Civics Education Is Uneven Across Colorado
11:30 – The Cost of Low Civic Literacy on Society
14:00 – The Three-Legged Stool: Knowledge, Skills & Action
17:00 – What Justice Kennedy Said About Student Discussion
18:30 – Confidence vs. Arrogance in Civic Participation
19:30 – We the People Program Explained
23:00 – Project Citizen: Student-Led Community Change
26:30 – Civics Starts at the Elementary Level
28:30 – Lightning Round with Colleen O'Brien
29:45 – Wrap-Up & Preview of Part 2
Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child.
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
Next Episode
In part two of my S5E33 Schoolutions conversation, Colleen O'Brien, Ed.D., reveals what decades of research and classroom teaching experience taught her: the gap between civic knowledge and civic participation isn't apathy, it's confidence.
Colleen and I explore:
🔹 Why low engagement in civic life is really a confidence problem, not an apathy problem
🔹 What inclusive teaching and nonpartisan facilitation actually look like in practice
🔹 How student participation in structured discussion prepares kids for real-world advocacy
🔹 The role of instructional leadership and school culture in making civics education consistent and high quality
💫Make sure to watch Part 1 & Some Episode Mentions:
- Civics for Colorado
- Colorado Youth Advisory Council
- Center for Civic Education
- iCivics
- Bill of Rights Institute
- Street Law
- Common Cause
- "This I Believe"
- More Information & Upcoming Events from Colleen
Chapters
0:00 – Welcome Back & Part 2 Overview
1:45 – Civic Knowledge vs. Civic Behavior: What's the Difference?
4:00 – Civics Education Then vs. Now: What's Changed?
6:20 – The Real Reason People Don't Participate (It's Not Apathy)
7:45 – Building the Bridge: From Understanding Democracy to Showing Up
9:00 – Training Facilitators & Reading the Room
10:45 – How to Model Nonpartisanship When Everything Feels Partisan
12:30 – Teaching Values vs. Teaching Partisanship
14:00 – Where Is Civics Education Headed?
15:30 – What This Journey Taught Colleen About Herself
16:00 – National Resources for Educators Everywhere
17:00 – Closing Takeaways
Next week: What happens when a teacher truly believes in a child? Not just says it, but proves it? Muriel Summers, co-creator of Leader in Me and co-author of Teacher Believed in Me, reveals why entrusting kids with real responsibility is the most powerful thing an adult can do and why holding back might be the most dangerous. You don't want to miss it.
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
If you like this episode you’ll love
Promoted