Kid Governor® Civic Education Program to Launch in Vermont

On June 6, 2025

Hartford, Conn – Kid Governor®, The Connecticut Democracy Center’s (CTDC) national award-winning civic education program, has welcomed Vermont to its roster of affiliate states. CTDC is partnering with the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office (SOS) to launch Vermont’s Kid Governor®. This free program will teach fifth-grade students about state government, voting, and the importance of civic engagement through an authentic election for their state’s Kid Governor. The program will debut during the 2025-26 school year, with its first election in November 2025.

“Secretaries of State across the country have been enthusiastic supporters of Kid Governor, and we are thrilled to be partnering with the Vermont Secretary’s Office to bring the program to the state’s fifth-grade classrooms,” said Brian Cofrancesco, CTDC’s Director of Kid Governor®. “Kid Governor gives young people an opportunity to get involved in civics at an early age—and it’s our goal to empower them to remain engaged in our democracy and within their communities for the rest of their lives. We welcome our newest affiliate program and look forward to Vermont electing their state’s first Kid Governor this fall!”

The Vermont Secretary of State’s office will lead this unique civic education program for Vermont’s fifth graders. “Increasing civic engagement, particularly among young Vermonters, has been one of my top priorities since taking office,” said Secretary Copeland Hanzas. “Voting is an important civic duty that these fifth graders will get to learn more about, but I’m particularly excited that Kid Governor invites them to think about problems that they would like to solve if they were in elected office. This is a crucial lesson for our youth: when you live in a democracy, you can step up to run for office and help solve a problem! I can’t wait to work with our first Kid Governor and their cabinet.”

Schools or individual fifth-grade classes can register to vote in November’s statewide election, and each participating school can nominate one student for the election to determine Vermont’s 2026 Kid Governor. Each student who runs for Kid Governor must identify an important community issue and develop a three-point platform with ways that fifth-graders can address that issue. School nominees will create campaign videos outlining their platforms and persuading fellow fifth-grade voters to elect them as Kid Governor.

Seven final candidates will advance to a statewide election coinciding with Election Day in November. Fifth graders will watch and analyze the candidates’ campaign videos in class before casting a vote for the student they want to represent them as the voice of the Nebraska’s fifth graders. The student with the most votes will become Kid Governor, and the six finalists will serve as the Kid Governor’s Cabinet. The team of student leaders will serve a one-year term, working together with SOS to advance their platforms and inspire their constituents to make a difference in their local communities.

This exciting announcement comes just weeks after CTDC announced another new affiliate program, Nebraska’s Kid Governor®, in partnership with Civic Nebraska, which will also debut during the 2025-26 school year. Nebraska and Vermont join Connecticut, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and Oregon in this national movement to engage students in authentic civic learning, with interest growing in other states. Since the program’s inception in 2015, more than 100,000 fifth graders have voted to elect their state’s Kid Governor. Organizations interested in learning more about bringing Kid Governor to their state through CTDC’s affiliate program can visit kidgovernor.org or email Brian.Cofrancesco@kidgovernor.org.

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The Connecticut Democracy Center (CTDC) provides people of all ages with a lifetime pathway to active citizenship and the tools to take civic action in their communities. With a broad range of initiatives, including The Connecticut Network (CT-N), Connecticut’s Old State House, Connecticut History Day, Kid Governor^®, The Connecticut Democracy Center Debate Tournament, and We The People: The Citizen and The Constitution, CTDC envisions a society where everyone is empowered to participate in our democracy. Learn more by visiting ctdemocracycenter.org and engaging with CTDC on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and Bluesky.