Teachers across the United States are using the midterm elections as practical lessons in civics, emphasizing how the political system works rather than which candidates or parties students should support. Their approaches include researching races, taking part in mock elections and discussing voting rights and political advocacy.
At the New York City Lab School for Collaborative Studies, U.S. history and government teacher Pat Sprinkle assigns students a competitive race outside their state. Students research the candidates, predict the result and present what they learned to classmates. Sprinkle says the project helps them examine campaign strategy, money in politics and the role elections play in connecting people with government.
A survey by UNICEF USA and The Harris Poll found that more than half of respondents aged 14 to 22 feel elected officials do not care about their opinions. At the same time, the share of eligible young people who said they planned to vote in state elections rose from 47% in 2024 to 62% in 2026. Sprinkle also helps eligible students register, noting the importance of participation amid typically low registration rates among young voters, according to The Civics Center.
In Council Bluffs, Iowa, eighth-grade teacher Shauna Cihacek involves students in the Iowa Youth Straw Poll. This year, she presented candidates’ positions on issues without identifying their party affiliations. Cihacek says students wanted to know the candidates’ party labels, but she directed them to focus on the candidates and their positions. She hopes the exercise prepares students to vote when they turn 18.
Educators say civics lessons can begin well before high school. Deslin Chapman of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Learning for Justice recommends that elementary teachers introduce democracy and the reasons people vote, building a foundation for more complex topics later. Indianapolis fifth-grade teacher Kaylea Dominguez teaches about elections and government, and holds a classroom election for class president. She says respectful discussion matters when students share political views they have heard at home.
For older students, Chapman recommends constructive dialogue over debate, which can become confrontational. Teachers can ask students to research issues and consider different perspectives while remaining neutral. Kevin McCleish, a social science teacher in Frankfort, Illinois, uses midterm election patterns to explain changes in congressional power and discusses differences between Democratic and Republican positions without advocating for either side.
Civics education also covers ways to participate beyond voting. McCleish discusses volunteering as an election judge, as well as protests and lawsuits as forms of political advocacy. The article notes that eighth-grade civics scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress fell by two points between 2018 and 2022, with a larger share of students scoring below the assessment’s Basic level. The next civics assessment is scheduled for 2028.
Sources: EdSurge.