Fifth-Grade Students Elect New Kid Governors in Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Oregon

February 9, 2021 

Fifth-Grade Students Elect New Kid Governors in Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Oregon

Hartford, Conn. – Fifth-graders in Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Oregon have spoken and their voices have been heard. After voting in the Kid Governor election in November, the winning students have been inaugurated and are ready to get to work making a difference in their individual states on three very important issues.

Kid Governor® is an award-winning civics education program for fifth-graders created by The Connecticut Democracy Center at Connecticut’s Old State House in 2015. Students submit campaign videos about community issues they want to fix and three-point platforms to help other students take action. Seven statewide finalists advance to an authentic election and the winning student serves a year-long term as Kid Governor. The elected Kid Governor promotes their platform via the program’s website and blog, meets and speaks with their constituents, creates resources and tools for students to take action, and participates in programs across the state.

“The Kid Governor program empowers fifth-graders to change the world, and this year’s elected Kid Governors are committed to being that change,” said Brian Cofrancesco, Head of Kid Governor at The Connecticut Democracy Center at Connecticut’s Old State House. “Their innovative platforms seek to make a meaningful difference on pressing issues facing our state and demonstrate the civic-mindedness of our nation’s young people. Kid Governor provides a platform for their voices to be heard and we are eager to see the impact these students will make in 2021.”

Connecticut
Connecticut’s 2021 Kid Governor is Reese Naughton from Oshana Elementary School in Southington, CT. Reese ran on the platform of Be Positive: Pandemic Perseverance. She plans to brighten the lives of nursing home residents through positive messages, create a virtual community crate and coordinate a statewide poster contest for positive messages by and for students, and encourage students to take care of their mental health through outdoor activities.

The six other candidates from the Statewide Election will serve in the Kid Governor’s Cabinet. They will support Reese and her platform while working toward achieving the goals they outlined in their own campaign platforms. Visit CT.KidGovernor.org to learn more about Reese and watch her campaign video HERE.

In her inaugural address, Reese thanked her family and her fellow fifth-graders for supporting her platform and voting for her. “I was inspired to spread positivity when the coronavirus pandemic struck and our world changed,” she said. “This made me have so many feelings that I realized other kids must be having: sadness, loneliness, and isolation. When I had the opportunity to run for Kid Governor, I did it to help others NOT feel this way. Positivity is so important for our mental health, and I believe my platform will help improve the mental health of Connecticut residents.”

New Hampshire
Fifth-graders in New Hampshire elected Charlie Olsen from Auburn Village School in Auburn, New Hampshire, who ran on the platform of childhood depression. His three-point plan focuses on fundraising to support professional help for children in need, developing a mentoring system to support kids, and creating a social network for positivity. Learn more about Charlie at NH.KidGovernor.org and see his campaign video HERE.

During his inauguration, Charlie spoke about the honor of being elected to represent his fellow fifth-graders. “This challenge gave me the voice to speak up and help kids who are struggling with depression and I am so grateful,” he said.

Oregon
Taneesh Garg of Portland’s Springville K-8 was elected as the 2021 Oregon Kid Governor. Taneesh ran on the platform of ending racism and he plans to raise awareness by creating a club for kids to learn about racism and its effects on society, communicating a safe environment for students to feel comfortable sharing their experiences, and organizing sales of cultural foods to celebrate differences and to raise funds for organizations that help fight racism. His campaign video can be seen at OR.KidGovernor.org and HERE.

“I chose this topic because being treated differently because of your skin color or culture is hurtful,” Taneesh said in his inaugural address. “One day, I was imagining if all the kids were the same, we all looked the same, did the same things, talked the same way, the world would be really boring. Our differences in culture, language, customs, and festivals enriches this world.”

Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan said, “Taneesh is an incredible leader, and I can’t wait to see how he fulfills his term as Kid Governor.”

Reese, Charlie, and Taneesh will now begin their one-year terms in office during which they will raise awareness of their platforms and work with students and adults to help make a positive difference in their states and communities.

Kid Governor® is a growing movement in civics education. Bring Kid Governor to your state for 2022! Learn more about Kid Governor – both the program and the students – at KidGovernor.org and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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