With Election Day just a few short weeks away, we are all reminded of the critical power of the vote-how our individual ballots will add up to meaningful outcomes for our neighborhoods, our state, and our country as a whole. Because of the wide-ranging consequences of our elections, this is a time when the importance of civic education is clearer than ever.

But as we know, civics is much broader and deeper than election season alone. Put simply, it is woven through the fabric of our daily lives-from access to clean water, to the availability of school lunches, to our ability to connect to the internet. To some extent, it is the everyday nature of civics that makes its significance so hard to see-especially for our youth.

This is why I am passionate about civic education. It is an essential tool for helping our young people understand not only how government works, but also their own power and potential in society. This includes learning how our public systems operate, how to engage in the political process, and what their rights and responsibilities are as members of a democratic society. But, to me, this type of knowledge is just the beginning.

Most importantly, civic education teaches critical thinking skills. And in these highly contentious times, when we are awash in information-some of it solid, some of it dubious-we have an urgent need to impart those skills to students of every background, every belief system, and every region of the state. The power of this work rests on two component parts.

First, we need to ensure that our youth understand that government, in our democracy, is intended for everyone. Right now, young people in California are less likely than older people to participate in elections-even though they differ with their elders on key topics, as PPIC's work has shown. Civic education is the antidote to that trend. We need to let young people know-early and often-that policy is a tool that can be used by anyone, not only through the electoral process but also in a variety of important life circumstances.

Second, we need to teach effective collaboration-and remind students that in our incredibly diverse state, we are all still part of a greater whole. This is why we must recognize a wide range of voices and viewpoints. When young people build both their listening skills and their powers of persuasion they are better prepared to navigate our increasingly complex world-whether that's in college, the workforce, or beyond. Collaboration and negotiation-learning how to reach a collective yes-are the glue that holds our democracy together.

For all of these reasons, I founded a civic education initiative when I ran the third branch of government-the judicial branch-as the Chief Justice of California. I'm proud to say that the Power of Democracy is still going strong more than a decade later.

At PPIC, I've been leading efforts to expand our reach and to encourage broader engagement efforts focused on civic education. Over the past several months, we've hosted convenings that brought together an array of local and state organizations to share information, ideas, and strategies for involving California's young people. I have been so impressed with the many dedicated people I've met, all of whom show such great enthusiasm for bringing along the next generation of leaders in our state. I have learned about diverse and inclusive efforts to inspire a broad range of students-urban and rural, Black and brown, LGBTQ+-as well as their teachers and larger communities. I've also met with members of statewide organizations-from the California State Library to the California Chamber of Commerce to numerous foundations-all of which recognize the essential role of civic education.

At PPIC, we are well positioned to help inform these efforts. Our reputation as a trusted, nonpartisan convener, our objective and fact-based research, and our talented pool of experts are critical strengths and resources we hope to share as this work goes forward.

As I've said before, democracy is a use-it-or-lose-it proposition. I look forward to working together to help the next generation of leaders find their voices, face California's challenges, and continue to build a better future for the people of our state.

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