Stafford High School Interact Club members partnered with the Rotary Club of Stafford to teach campers at the Stafford Summer Recreation Program about democracy through hands-on voting activities, patriotic art projects, and civic education made possible by a grant from the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut.
On July 3, members of the Stafford High School Interact Club and the Rotary Club of Stafford spent the morning at the Stafford Summer Recreation Program helping campers learn about democracy in a fun and engaging way—just in time for Independence Day.
The Democracy Project was made possible through a grant awarded to the Interact Club by the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut. The grant was written by Interact students with the goal of creating an educational program for younger students that would teach the importance of voting and civic participation. Although scheduling challenges prevented the project from taking place during the school year, the Stafford Summer Recreation Program provided the perfect opportunity to bring the idea to life.
The morning began with several fun voting activities that introduced campers to the democratic process. Using ballots, students cast their votes on lighthearted questions such as whether they preferred dogs or cats, pizza or tacos, and summer or winter. (Tacos won by a convincing margin!)
The campers then completed a paper ballot featuring some of their favorite Stafford Summer Recreation activities and voted on the end-of-summer celebration they would most like to enjoy. After all the ballots were counted, an Ice Cream Party was elected the winner. The Rotary Club of Stafford is excited to provide the celebration later this summer, giving campers the opportunity to see the results of their votes put into action.
Following the voting activities, campers worked alongside Interact members and Rotary volunteers to create colorful posters celebrating America, Independence Day, and the importance of democracy. The creative activity encouraged students to reflect on what freedom, citizenship, and our country mean to them.
Each camper also received a copy of For Which We Stand: How Our Government Works and Why It Matters by Jeff Foster, along with a flag pin and a "Democracy Rocks" pencil to continue learning about government and civic engagement at home.
The Rotary Club of Stafford is incredibly proud of the Stafford High School Interact Club for developing this meaningful project and grateful to the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut for providing the funding to make it possible. By teaching younger students that every voice matters and every vote counts, these young leaders helped inspire the next generation of engaged and informed citizens.
As our nation celebrated Independence Day, this project served as a wonderful reminder that democracy begins with learning, participation, and a commitment to serving our community.
