ABOVE PHOTO: Courtesy Philadelphia City Commissioner’s Office
The 2nd Annual Philly Rises city-wide youth civic engagement school tour was officially launched on February 1 at Constitution High School by City Commissioner Omar Sabir.
The initiative was launched in 2022 by Sabir, who is the Philly Rises vice chairman, together with PA Youth Vote, the Urban League, and the NAACP Philadelphia Branch. The tour was created to provide Philadelphia high school students with a fruitful civic experience filled with information about their voting rights and the electoral process.
Sabir is determined to make sure that every eligible student has access to voting, understands their voting rights, and is educated on the importance of voting.
During tour stops, Sabir’s office will register eligible students to accept mail-in ballot applications, and accept applications for student poll workers.
“Children are the future — we must empower them by giving them access to voting knowledge and election information,” Sabir said. “Now is the time, and our time is now.”
Sabir was joined by School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Tony B. Watlington, as well as NAACP Philadelphia Branch president Catherine Hicks, executive director of PA Youth Vote Angelique Hinton, and chairman of the Urban League of Philadelphia, Keith Bethel.
“The Philadelphia Branch NAACP is excited to participate in this much-needed program for our high school students, to prepare those who will become first-time voters with the information and process and to also teach them the importance of exercising their right to vote from a civil rights perspective,” Hicks said.
“PA Youth Vote is so excited to embark on this tour with our partners to educate young people across Philadelphia on how the government works, what’s on the ballot in 2023, and to help the youth understand their power to create change via their votes and their voices,” Hinton said. “We hope you’ll follow along on social media @payouthvote.”
Bethel also touted the importance of Philly Rises.
“The Urban League of Philadelphia is proud to stand with Omar Sabir and to be a part of the Philly Rises initiative,” he said. “By empowering our youth to vote, we ensure a democracy that moves beyond our hateful past to a future in which equity is real! The ULP stands committed to ensuring that our youth know the power of the vote.”
For more information, please contact Sumaiyah Bynum at: [email protected] or call the office at: (215) 686-3462.
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