LOUISVILLE, Ky. — With just one week until Election Day, the push to the polls continues with Kentucky students leading the charge. The Frazier History Museum partnered with Ballard High School and Holy Cross High School on a Youth Voter Initiative.
While many Kentuckians have been exercising their right to vote, this right was not always a given. It's something many fought hard for as demonstrated in the Frazier History Museum exhibit "What is a Vote Worth? Suffrage Then and Now." Through this new partnership, teachers like Edward Fossett brought the lessons from the exhibit to the classroom.
“It definitely helped educate me more on when people got the right to vote, how people fought so hard and sacrificed so much to vote,” Ballard High student Makaela Carroll said.
For the project, students learned about suffrage movements as well as current hurdles some still face when trying to cast a ballot. They were then tasked with sharing that information with the community.
“That was part of the intent all along to try to help not only make voters aware but also make our students aware of the sacrifices people made in the past for the right to vote. It's something we oftentimes, like when we study history, take for granted,” Fossett said.
Students could get creative with their projects. Some made flyers, postcards, or even websites to promote voting. Student Benjamin Delozier even made a radio ad.
"We can create materials and outreach so that others can be a part of the process. I think that's even more important,” Delozier said.
A lot of the students agreed that, while this project is something that they will remember forever, they really like the fact that the message goes out to the community, in hopes that it can make a real impact.
“This class really helps me feel like I have a voice and that I can actually contribute to the community and help my fellow community members exercise their right,” Lemlem Hutcheson said.
These students say they are passionate about telling others to go out and vote, even though many of them are not old enough to do so themselves this election.
“I’m 17, so I couldn’t vote in this election, but these next four years affect me," student Cierra Ferguson said.
The museum said the goal of this initiative is to get young people engaged in the process. After hearing from those who participated, it's clear to see that these students are doing just that. Participating schools received $500 in hopes that this initiative continues for years to come.