November 26, 2024

University of Washington recognized as a 2024 ALL IN Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting

The University of Washington is one of 471 colleges and universities recognized for outstanding efforts to increase nonpartisan student voter participation in the 2024 election.

 

The UW has been recognized by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge as a 2024 ALL IN Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting. The ALL IN Most Engaged Campuses for College Student Voting recognizes colleges and universities for outstanding efforts to increase nonpartisan student voter participation. The UW joins a cohort recognized by ALL IN for completing four core actions:

• Participating in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.
• Sharing 2022 NSLVE Reports with campus voting data with ALL IN.
• Developing and submitting a 2024 democratic engagement action plan with ALL IN.
• Having a current signatory to ALL IN’s Higher Education Presidents’ Commitment to Full Student Voter Participation.

“This recognition not only celebrates the efforts of UW students, faculty and staff but also serves as a motivator to continue building sustainable programs that encourage lifelong civic involvement,” said Michael Soudmand, program manager of Student Civic Leadership Development at the Community Engagement & Leadership Education (CELE) Center. “Through collaborating with student organizations, gamifying civic engagement and leveraging the UW campus coalition with Democracy Dawgs to coordinate campus-wide voter engagement efforts, these strategies have created a dynamic, student-centered approach to nonpartisan democratic engagement, ensuring that students not only participate in the voting process but also develop the skills and mindset to become lifelong civic leaders,” Soudmand said.

“We are committed to our role as a public university to prepare engaged and educated citizens who are empowered to address and resolve critical societal issues,” said Fran Lo, executive director of the CELE Center. “This entails equipping students to develop their civic knowledge, skills and identities necessary to participate in civic life,” Lo said.

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement. Campuses that join the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge complete a set of action items, with the support of ALL IN staff, to institutionalize nonpartisan civic learning and voter participation on their campus. The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge currently engages 10.8 million students from more than 1,075 institutions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The Community Engagement and Leadership Education (CELE) Center at the University of Washington provides students with opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to contribute to thriving communities; building authentic community and campus partnerships drive our work. Democracy Dawgs is a coalition of students, staff, faculty, community members and civic leaders who are working to increase student voting rates and build an even stronger culture of civic and democratic engagement at the University of Washington.