EVERETT—Nearly 300 high school students took a field trip to the Snohomish County Campus on Thursday, January 30, to participate in the County’s third annual Civic Engagement Day, where students can learn the ins-and-outs of local government.
Classes were spread throughout the County Campus Administrative Building and the Snohomish County Courthouse centering on six departments including: the Sheriff’s Office, Prosecutor/Office of Public Defense (OPD), County Council, Public Works, Snohomish County Elections, and Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR).
From 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. a total of 28 classes were held covering an array of topics. County Council members Nate Nehring and Jared Mead taught students the roles and responsibilities of the County Council, Officers working with the Sheriff’s Office brought in their furry partners with K-9 demonstrations, Snohomish County Prosecutor Jason Cummings spoke on how crimes are prosecuted, and of course there was a break for lunch where students could enjoy some provided pizza because, as Councilman Nehring joked, “nobody would show up if it weren’t for the pizza.”
County Council members Mead and Nehring were the masterminds behind the day which is not just about teaching local students how local government operates, they shared, but also about stirring interest in students to pursue government jobs.
Nehring shared that last year he had several students approach him asking how they could get more involved in County government, inquiring about volunteer opportunities on boards and commissions which, he said, you “don’t typically hear from high school students.”
Again, this year, during the Q&A segment of Nehring and Mead’s seminar, a student shared that they just turned 18 and asked if they could run for office. Nehring replied yes and got the impression it was something they had never thought of before.
Another student asked what type of college degree was needed to run for County Council and was pleased to hear Nehring’s answer; that not only is there no education requirement to run, but Nehring encouraged anybody and everybody, from every socioeconomic background, to run because, he said, “elected officials should be representative of the constituents, reflecting a diverse range of backgrounds.”
Mead chimed in with another example of having two high school students contacted his office last year inquiring about internship opportunities.
What started as Mead and Nehring visiting local schools to teach about civics eventually grew into a Campus-wide event, growing from about 75 students its first year to its biggest year yet.
Over the years Mead and Nehring have engaged students and teachers to gather feedback they’ve used to improve the event every year.
The two Council members added that they could not have organized the event each year without the amazing work done by their legislative assistants.
“It’s really cool to see the participation from students. This started a few years ago with sort of a smaller gathering and it’s grown every year and now we have about 300 kids and 10 schools to the point that we’re almost running out of capacity which is a really good problem to have,” Council member Nehring shared with the Lynnwood Times.
Council member Mead added that he suspects school teachers and principles spread the word, leading to the event’s growth in participation.
“It’s really inspiring to see young people this interested and invested in what’s going on local government,” said Mead. “A lot of times, it feels like, especially in our public meetings, nobody’s paying attention but this is the stuff that really matters and I’ll argue that until I’m blue in the face. Local government is where all the things that impact people’s daily lives are really happening day-to-day and yet most people are hyper focused on the federal government.”
Participating schools included Henry M Jackson High School, Marysville Pilchuck High School, Marysville Getchel High School, Legacy High School, Heritage High School, Cascade High School, Innovation Lab High School, Lakewood High School, Everett High School, Snohomish High School, as well as two homeschooled students.
“I strongly feel that the responsibility to build a healthier and brighter society for our children and grandchildren falls to each and every one of us,” said Nehring. “If we are waiting for a politician to come along and solve our problems by uniting everyone, we may be waiting for a very long time. But we each have the opportunity to roll up our sleeves and get started today. I think if we can each make a commitment to remaining humble, giving others the benefit of the doubt, and treating everyone with respect (especially those who are different from us) then we have a great foundation for a better future.”
The event was entirely funded through Mead and Nehring’s office budgets with participating school’s being responsible for the transportation. Last budget, the two County Council members proposed an amendment that would offer scholarships to schools to cover the costs associated with transportation, but it simply wasn’t in the cards given the already tight budget year.
If you know of a class or school that would be interested in hosting County elected officials as guest speakers, please reach out to Angela Ewert at angela.ewert@snoco.org or Russell Wiita at russell.wiita@snoco.org.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
