Georgia Becomes Fifth State to Join the Kid Governor® Program

Hartford, Conn – Kid Governor®, the national award-winning civics program created by The
Connecticut Democracy Center at Connecticut’s Old State House, has welcomed Georgia to its
roster of affiliate states. This free program teaches fifth-grade students about state government,
voting, and the importance of civic engagement through an authentic election for their state’s
Kid Governor.

The Georgia Center for Civic Engagement will oversee this unique civics opportunity for fifth
graders across the state, kicking off the program in July for the 2022-2023 school year. Georgia
joins Connecticut, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and Oregon in this exciting election program that
employs a hands-on educational experience to engage students and bring civics to life.

Participating schools will each have the opportunity to nominate one fifth-grade student
candidate for a statewide election that will determine Georgia’s 2023 Kid Governor.  Each
student who chooses to run for Kid Governor will identify an important community issue and
develop a three-point platform with ways that fifth-graders can address that issue. Schools will
run primary elections to select their nominees, and each school’s winner will create a campaign
video about their platform and submit it to The Georgia Center of Civic Engagement. Seven final
candidates will advance to a statewide election that coincides with Election Day in November.

Fifth-grade students across the state will watch and analyze the candidates’ campaign videos
before casting a vote for the student they want to represent them as the voice of Georgia’s fifth-
graders. The student with the most votes will become Kid Governor and will spend a one-year
term working with The Georgia Center for Civic Engagement to implement their campaign
platform. The six finalists from the election will serve as the Kid Governor’s Cabinet, working
closely with the Kid Governor and advancing their own platforms.

Toolkits of free, custom-designed lesson plans and activities will guide classroom teachers
through the program and teach students about state government in their state, the history and
process of voting, and active participation in civic life.

Dr. Randell E. Trammell, President and CEO of the Georgia Center for Civic Engagement,
remarked, “We are most excited to launch the Kid Governor program in Georgia to expand our

civic education programs into the elementary grades. Research shows that the earlier and more
often that a student is exposed to civic skills, the more fully they develop in their civic
knowledge, civic identity, and civic competencies. This program is definitely a value-add for
schools across the state.” Trammell continued, “The GCCE is most appreciative to The
Connecticut Democracy Center for their support and is excited for this new partnership.”

The Georgia Center for Civic Engagement exists to educate and equip students to be informed
and active citizens. GCCE is committed to comprehensive civic education, a multi-disciplinary
approach that provides opportunities for educators to sharpen their skills to further impact
students and provides hands-on opportunities for students to engage in experiences that develop
their civic knowledge, encourage a stronger civic identity, and foster a lifelong commitment to
civic engagement. Current GCCE program offerings include model state legislature, model
United Nations, the Georgia Pathway to Public Service, and other immersive civic education
programming for middle and high school students. GCCE will expand its programs to include
elementary school students beginning in Fall 2022.

“The Kid Governor program empowers fifth graders to change the world through informed civic
engagement and we are thrilled that Georgia’s fifth graders will practice authentic civic
participation this fall as they elect their state’s first Kid Governor,” said Brian Cofrancesco,
Director of Kid Governor® at The Connecticut Democracy Center. “We look forward to this
exciting partnership with GCCE as they join our national civics movement.”

The Connecticut Democracy Center created the Kid Governor® program in 2015 to teach fifth-
graders about state government, elections, and the importance of civic engagement. The program
now includes affiliates in Georgia, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Oregon. Kid Governor® has
been recognized by the National Association of Secretaries of State, the American Association
for State and Local History, and the Connecticut Council for Social Studies. The program is
presented with major funding and partnership support from CT Humanities and the Gawlicki
Family Foundation, and in partnership with the Connecticut Council for the Social Studies.

The Connecticut Democracy Center (CTDC) at Connecticut’s Old State House provides people
with a lifetime pathway to active citizenship and the tools to take civic action in their own
communities. The CTDC seeks to inspire people of all ages to engage in civic life and
strengthen their communities.

Learn more about the Kid Governor® program at www.kidgovernor.org.