In order for democracy to function, all voices have to be heard. How do you go about doing that when you are too young to vote? Historically, youth have played a powerful role in politics, and young people of today are no different. That brings about the question, how do we harness the powerful force that is politically passionate teenagers? It starts with a combination of sharing and listening, by both adults and young people. Sophomore Kelly Garrett says, “I think it is so important for youth to get involved in politics because it teaches us to debate our opinions and beliefs and disagree without being disagreeable and ultimately we will be the main influence on politics in the future.”The more educated young people are about different political issues, the more seriously they will be taken by people of voting age. Aside from that, there are many ways to get involved and speak up about what minors are passionate about.

  North Carolina’s local government has put in place a few programs just strong minded teenagers to learn about and get involved in politics. The first is the Governor’s Page Program. The Page Program was instituted in 1973 for anyone sixteen to eighteen years old to get hands on learning experience about the functions and mechanics of the local government. Pages also have the opportunity to meet political officials and tour state government buildings. This gives teenagers the opportunity to get a head start in being apart of the political process and have acess to talk to people who can push for their causes.

  Another incredible opportunity available is the Youth Legislative Assembly, which is a mock assembly where high school students get together to discuss local, state, and national issues, and at the end a report is sent to the governor and the legislature. It is a three day session modeled after the North Carolina General Assembly and lets young people share their opinions in a way that leads directly to lawmakers. Many Millbrook students have participated in this event. Senior Nina Wilder says, “I definitely gained skills within the realm of public speaking and debate, as well as being able to articulate my thoughts in a concise manner. I have always been a nervous public speaker, so this experience really helped me speak up in front of a lot of people for what I believe in.”

  The last opportunity is Raleigh Youth Council which acts as a forum for high schoolers to share out and advocate along with engaging in the community through community service and civic engagements. This program provides you with not only skills necessary to be politically active, but to be around people who share your passion in a place where you can push for changes together. If you are more so looking to advocate for a specific issue, you can also appear before city council. This is open to anyone, and by doing so you are speaking directly to those who can make a difference. No matter on what scale, teenagers opinions deserve to be heard, and it is our job to make sure that happens.