Kids Voting NC 4-H builds the civic knowledge, skills, and agency of North Carolina youth, ages 5-17, through hands-on civic engagement and an authentic election experience. Kids Voting NC 4-H’s elections and civic participation programs nurture youth’s sense of themselves as informed, active voters and civic participants through:

• Educational opportunities to learn about - and teach others about -  the offices to be elected and the candidates on the ballot

• Hands-on skill-building around how to vote including how to evaluate candidates and developing an identity as a voter

• Kids Voting Elections where youth can cast a ballot on the same candidates and issues as adults 

• Kids Voting civic activities & lessons that can be used in year-round 4-H core youth programs focused on Civic Engagement & Education, Service Learning, & Leadership 

Existing local 4-H partnerships with schools, youth groups, government agencies, and community volunteers extend the reach of this program.  Many local programs choose to have  4-H youth undertake Kids Voting as a service project for their peers building leadership skills and volunteerism as well as civic engagement.

Kids Voting NC staff and volunteers are committed to providing high-quality civic experience for youth that are:

KVNC 4-H gives young people hands-on experience with democratic practices including voting and supports them in understanding their own identity as a voter.  We do not support or promote any particular party, political agenda, or candidate.

Non-Partisan

Youth-led

Youth inform & create materials, programs, and outreach that is relevant, accessible, and engaging for other youth - and often their families & other adults in the community as well. 

KVNC 4-H especially tries to work in the civic skills, knowledge, and participation gaps research has identified – generational, economic, racial, and regional – to ensure that everyone has the tools to become an effective and fully engaged civic participant.

Equity-oriented

Looking Forward

Kids Voting NC 4-H is looking to build on its successful 2022 launch by:

• Holding KVNC 4-H 2023 municipal elections that deepen youth appreciation of the role of local government through not only casting a ballot but creating election guides and holding candidate forums in their communities.

• Building toward  40-60% of 4-H County participation in the KVNC 2024 Elections for local, state and federal offices

• Offering support for year-round civic engagement in every county through training of youth and adult volunteers to conduct the Kids Voting NC activities and curriculum in clubs, schools, and other youth venues

 KVNC 4-H programs translate into a lifetime of civic participation and informed voting for thousands of North Carolina youth.

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Kids Voting NC is a program of the Durham County Cooperative Extension that builds the civic knowledge, skills, and agency of NC youth under 18.  

NC State 4-H is a fun program where youth get to experience “learning by doing”. With more than 10,000 established 4-H programs across North Carolina, you can be a part of 4-H wherever you live.