For a February community service initiative, Galentines and Democracy was a hands-on civic education and leadership development initiative for middle school and high school Girl Scouts. We began with a guided discussion on what democracy means, followed by an overview of the U.S. voting system, including how the Electoral College works.

The Girl Scouts then applied what they learned through interactive activities. Participants chose to either write letters to their state representatives or run mock campaigns for the U.S. Senate, Congress, or the presidency. It was a highlight to see the speeches and platforms the girls created with such creativity and confidence! We then modeled elections through both the popular vote and an Electoral College simulation.

We concluded the program with a panel featuring City Councilwoman Alejandra Salinas, Professor Reed of UHLC, and Dino Anguiano (the current LLSA President), who all shared how democracy informs their careers and public service. Then there was a tour of the law school!