Youth Programs

The League offers three youth programs in Saratoga County:

• LeaderSpark, a leadership training program for high school students;
• Take Me to Vote, a program for fifth grade students to accompany their parents to the polls on election day; and
• First Vote, a program for graduating seniors that supplies information about voter registration and voting.

LeaderSpark

The League of Woman Voters of Saratoga County offers a unique leadership training program to interested high school sophomores and juniors. The LeaderSpark curriculum is designed to enhance the leadership skills of youth through high quality, interactive skill-building workshops to produce strong emerging leaders. It utilizes a practical, proven leadership curriculum, specially designed sequenced topics, youth-driven discussions, and hands-on interactive activities.
 
LeaderSpark Curriculum topics include:

•  Qualities and styles of leadership
•  Working with groups
•  Planning projects
•  Dealing with conflict
•  Presenting yourself:  public speaking and interviewing
•  Recognition and celebration

Students benefit by:

• Gaining self confidence, through focusing on topics such as styles and qualities of leadership, working with groups, planning projects, dealing with conflict and presenting yourself
• Obtaining volunteer hours for community service
• Having a national leadership program to include on college and work resumes
• Working with adult mentors to develop a meaningful community service project
• Having the opportunity to be chosen to attend the Students Inside Albany Conference for a comprehensive look at State government, including interaction with legislators.

LeaderSpark training is offered to high school sophomores and juniors in a five-session series on Sunday afternoons in the  winter and early spring. Recently retired teachers conduct the sessions with the assistance of community volunteers.  Student participants have been drawn from the following Saratoga County High Schools: Ballston Spa, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, Mechanicville, Saratoga Springs, Schuylerville, Shenendehowa, Spa Catholic, Stillwater and Waterford.

LeaderSpark was offered this year as a series on the Sunday afternoons of March 2, 9, 16, 30 and April 6 at the New York State Military Museum, 61 Lake Avenue, Saratoga Springs.

Take Me To Vote

Fifth grade teachers in Saratoga County may participate in the Take Me to Vote Program.  The goals of this League project are two-fold. The first is to encourage voter turnout on Election Day.  The second is to prepare children for the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Students ask an adult to take them to the polls on Election Day. Adults are encouraged to vote, and to interest their children in their rights as citizens. Fifth graders have participated in this program in Saratoga County since 2004.

Every student who goes to the polls with a parent/adult and shows his/her certificate to a poll worker earns a sticker. Teachers provide each fifth grader who participates with a button that says, "Take me to Vote!...Again!" The class with the highest level of participation in each elementary school receives a plaque. The public school with the highest percentage of participating fifth graders is honored with a visit from a legislator.  For 2008, Assemblymen James Tedisco and Roy McDonald talked to the fifth grades with the highest percentage of participation. Assemblyman Tedisco talked to fourth, fifth and sixth graders at Spa Christian School on January 22, and Assemblyman McDonald talked to several fifth grades at Dorothy Nolan Elementary School on January 31.

First Vote

First Vote is a project of The League of Women Voters of Saratoga County that reaches out to graduating seniors in Saratoga County high schools to provide them with the resources they need to register to vote.

When asked, the League provides each senior with copies of

• Voting Q & A for College Students in NYS (a flier);
• First Vote: A Guide for New Voters in New York State (an 8-page pamphlet, revised in 2007).  Both are publications of the League of Women Voters of New York State; and
• Voter registration forms from the Saratoga County Board of Elections.

High school social studies teachers distribute the materials the League has delivered directly to their students. There is no charge for these materials. Also offered: League members to talk to government students.

Voting is a complex challenge for new voters, but whether the students remain in the county or attend colleges outside the area, the League provides straightforward information on voting registration. The goal of First Vote is to motivate young people to engage in their rights and responsibilities as voters. In 2007 1,200 seniors received the League materials. By February 14, 2008, 2,265 seniors had already received materials, with four schools not yet heard from.