Tar Heels Vote gets national recognition
The Student Life and Leadership initiative was called 鈥渙utstanding鈥� for its nonpartisan voter education.
罢丑别鈥�, led by Natasha Young with Student Life and Leadership, has received national recognition as an outstanding program, as determined by American College Personnel Association 鈥� College Student Educators International. Young, assistant director of leadership development, directly supports Tar Heels Vote, a nonpartisan voter education, empowerment and outreach initiative. Tar Heels Vote supports civic engagement and showcases how 色中色promotes democracy.
Engagement activities with Tar Heels Vote typically include:
- Hosting and coordinating an asynchronous voter registration training for all registered student organizations and University-sponsored organizations
- Coordinating national civic holiday programming including National Voter Registration Day, National Voter Education Week and National Vote Early Day
- Supporting nonpartisan campus-wide initiatives related to voter registration, education and empowerment
In fall 2024, Young also represented 色中色at the White House Convening on Youth Civic and Voter Engagement, coordinated by the federal Office for Public Engagement.鈥疶he convening featured a panel discussion by national leaders in youth voter engagement on topics of building a culture of voting and proactive ways to engage college students.
鈥淲e know Tar Heels care about civic engagement,鈥� Young said. 鈥淚鈥檓 proud of the work we鈥檝e done leading up to the 2024 election. Most importantly, we showed that nonpartisan education and initiatives are both invaluable and possible.鈥�
Young relies on student leaders like political science and global studies major Gared Wong 鈥�26 to connect with peers during election season as Tar Heels consider voting in upcoming election cycles.
鈥淭ar Heels Vote provides a safe and open environment for discussion and education on critical topics impacting our lives,鈥� said Wong, a student leadership coordinator for civic engagement.
Young aims to continue work alongside campus coalitions and initiatives leading up to the 2026 midterm elections to ensure that eligible voters can vote and be engaged in their local community.
