Politics matter.

• Author: Arabadjis, Heather
• Position: Education

IF YOU WERE TO ASK kids, even 10 years ago, if they wanted to learn about politics, I am certain you would have been met with a resounding "No"--or worse, "What is that, anyway?" However, through the grassroots efforts and community-based education of public figures like former Pres. Barack Obama, interest grew among the younger generations. Obama proved a political figure who was accessible, relatable, modern--in a word, cool.

Yet, this budding interest by the young was undermined by conflict in the lead-up to this past year's presidential election. The Battle Royale between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump took away from the importance of politics, and overturned the ideas of charitability and thoughtful dialogue in leadership hopefuls.

This took place against the broader backdrop of our busy lives. Today's parents are overwhelmed by activities that come with raising children, leaving little time to take care of their own needs, let alone nurture interests. That said, given the accessibility to information, parents are responsible to take time to teach their kids about politics. The question becomes: do parents have the time to do the hard work of sitting down and really thinking about the focus, goals, and outcomes those kinds of conversations could have on helping their children to navigate the political world?

Before you answer, I invite you to think about the following: most parents already have had to explain the results of this past year's election. Children were aware of what was said and were impacted by it. Because parents already have begun educating their children about politics, it perhaps is more important than ever before to keep them informed and engaged in the process.

Just as most businesses are built from the bottom up, a child's education is guided by this same process. Starting with the fundamentals--letters and sounds--children begin to read words and, eventually, books. It stands to reason that politics should be navigated in the same way, starting from the ground up.

Applying this thinking, no matter where you happen to live, there are rules, regulations, and laws that govern you. At a community level, your district council member is responsible for this. If you are not familiar with your district council member, you should be. He or she is responsible for bringing your questions, concerns, or comments to the decision-making table. This directly impacts you and your community.

Other districts or neighboring communities have councilors as well and, although they work primarily in their district, they all share the same state funds for supports and services. Said another way, a district council member that shows promise for your community and has experience with handling budgets, and/or receiving grants might be someone you want to vote for in the future.

If you agree that this all sounds great, it is important to learn the best way to get started--by sitting down with your children and discussing what they would like to change within your community. By co-creating a working list, you can add ideas over time and see whether and how your community changes through your combined efforts.

Complement this by visiting your district council member's office to learn the process for submitting requests and getting your ideas on his or her agenda. You might find that getting on the radar is best done through organizing as a group. If nothing else, this practice will help you and your child to work together on a project from start to finish, and learn a lot of political processes and life lessons along the way.

Zooming into my classroom setting, when working with students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, I ask them about the classes they are taking and their individual pathways towards graduation. Most students...