Secretary of State
October is Civics Month in Kentucky

(Frankfort, KY)  October is Civics Month in Kentucky, and there will be events throughout the Commonwealth to remind citizens, both young and old, about the importance of being engaged in the democratic process.  Civics Month developed out of the Civic Literacy Initiative of Kentucky (CLIK), chaired by Secretary of State Trey Grayson and was made official by the passage of House Joint Resolution 109 during the 2005 session of the Kentucky General Assembly.

            “Civics month is a perfect opportunity for citizens to focus on the importance of being engaged in their local community as well as participating in the democratic process,” stated Secretary Grayson.

            Civics month in Kentucky has opportunities abounding for Kentucky students.  High School students are currently participating in mock elections where they can vote for their preferred candidates for United States Senator on the actual voting equipment used in their county.  The mock elections are, in part, due to a grant the Office of the Secretary of State was awarded by the federal Election Assistance Commission.

            Also during October, elementary, middle, and remaining high school students can participate in the Kentucky Student Mock Election, a partner election of National Student/Parent Mock Election.  The mock election includes available lesson plans for Kentucky teachers.  This year’s election will take place on October 28, 2010.  Thousands of students across Kentucky are expected to participate.

          In addition, the Office of the Secretary of State will officially kick off its annual Voter Slogan and Essay contest during the month of October.  Students can win valuable prizes including cash and savings bonds for their outstanding work.  The contests specifically center upon elections and allow teachers to work the contest into the classroom curriculum through relevance to current events, such as the upcoming mid-term election. 

            “Our hope is not only to spur interest in the upcoming election cycle, but to more fundamentally get Kentucky citizens engaged in their communities and government across the Commonwealth,” noted Grayson.  “Civics month is an easy avenue to get citizens involved.”

            CLIK is a multi-year effort that will determine a strategy for enhancing long-term civic engagement and civic literacy within the Commonwealth.  As part of that effort, CLIK released a report, Rediscovering Democracy: An Agenda for Action, that calls upon the state to take tangible steps to increase civic literacy.  The report, which details four principle recommendations and scores of additional recommendations, was developed from the work of the Kentucky Workgroup on Civic Literacy and the CLIK.

            For more information about CLIK or to find out how to get your school, organization, or family involved in any civic activities taking place across Kentucky during the next month, please visit: www.civics.ky.gov.

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