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Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said the new Federal Work Study program will fill a need for increased participation in civic engagement. PHOTO/PACAST
New Federal Work Study program supports civic engagement in Pa.
Listen to this articleA new work study program from the U.S. Department of Education that promotes civic engagement is being implemented by the Shapiro Administration.
The program allows eligible college students in Pennsylvania and across the country to use Federal Work Study (FWS) funding to work in get-out-the-vote activities, election offices, polling places, and other nonpartisan civic engagement employment opportunities.
“An educated citizen is an engaged citizen, and it is critical that young people get involved in our democracy,” Pennsylvania Department of Education Secretary Dr. Khalid N. Mumin said in a statement. “I encourage students across Pennsylvania to take advantage of this opportunity, become part of the living infrastructure of our elections, and ensure everyone can safely and securely exercise their right to vote.”
Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt added that the program will help fill a need for increased participation in civic engagement.
“Counties across Pennsylvania are always looking for volunteers to serve as poll workers because the counties need roughly 45,000 people to assist every election in that capacity,” said Schmidt. “It’s especially important to have more young people filling in these roles because the future of our representative democracy depends on their engagement.”
Pennsylvania students can receive FWS funds at postsecondary institutions across the state. Students may be employed by the institution itself; a federal, state, or local public agency; a private nonprofit organization; or a private for-profit organization.
