According to recent studies, “Young people who grow up in a household where someone volunteers are twice as likely to volunteer regularly, to be an active member of a group, and are more likely to follow politics and vote.”

From the onset, encouraging all citizens, young and old, to give back to their communities seems like easy insurance for civic engagement. Especially with the 2016 election season looming, figuring out ways to cultivate strong civic values in our kids is important for not only this election, but for all elections to come.

Project Giving Kids focuses on finding causes that kids really care about; being interested in a particular cause or organization, paired with the experience of making a difference in their community exposes them to their civic duty in an effective way. While the connection between making Joke Books for Hospitality Homes or hosting a Crayon Collection crayon drive and voting in a future election might not be apparent, utilizing any and all methods for promoting civic engagement in youth is a smart choice.

Reflecting back on service experiences is also important for solidifying the impact giving back to the community has on your kids. “Young people who discuss a volunteer experience are twice as likely as others to volunteer regularly. And, they are also 16 percentage points more likely to try to influence someone’s vote.” (Source: The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement)

PGK’s registration feature facilitates the essential reflection every time a child indicates that he or she “completed” an activity, helping parents to maximize the influence each and every civic experience has on their kids. While the outcome of the 2016 Presidential election is not at all clear, one thing we can be certain of is the importance of raising civically-minded kids that care not only about giving back to their communities, but also about electing those who will lead them.