Vermont Secretary of State Introduces Kid Governor® Civic Education Program

Montpelier, VT – Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas announced today that her office will be bringing a national civic education initiative, Kid Governor^®, to Vermont this year. Kid Governor^® is a free program that teaches fifth-grade students about state government, voting, and the importance of civic engagement through an authentic election for their state’s Kid Governor. The program will debut during the 2025-26 school year, with its first election in November 2025.

The program, founded by the Connecticut Democracy Center (CTDC) in 2015, has spread nationwide and garnered broad support from educators and elected officials. Vermont joins Nebraska, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Oregon this year in bringing this unique civic learning experience to fifth graders from across the state.

“Secretaries of State across the country have been enthusiastic supporters of Kid Governor, and we are thrilled to be partnering with the Vermont Secretary’s Office to bring the program to the state’s fifth-grade classrooms,” said Brian Cofrancesco, CTDC’s Director of Kid Governor^®. “Kid Governor gives young people an opportunity to get involved in civics at an early age—and it’s our goal to empower them to remain engaged in our democracy and within their communities for the rest of their lives. We welcome our newest affiliate program and look forward to Vermont’s fifth graders electing their state’s first Kid Governor this fall!”

“Increasing civic engagement, particularly among young Vermonters, has been one of my top priorities since taking office,” said Secretary Copeland Hanzas. “Voting is an important civic duty that these fifth graders will get to learn more about, but I’m particularly excited that Kid Governor invites them to think about problems that they would like to solve if they were in elected office. This is a crucial lesson for our youth: when you live in a democracy, you can step up to run for office and help solve a problem! I can’t wait to work with our first Kid Governor and their cabinet.”

This fall individual fifth-grade classes can register with the Vermont Secretary of State’s office to participate in Kid Governor^®. Each participating school can nominate one student for the election to determine Vermont’s 2026 Kid Governor. Each student who runs for the office must identify an important community issue and develop a three-point platform with ways that fifth graders can address that issue. School nominees will create campaign videos outlining their platforms and persuading fellow fifth-grade voters to elect them as Kid Governor.

Seven final candidates will advance to a statewide election coinciding with Election Day in November. All fifth graders from participating schools will watch and analyze the candidates’ campaign videos in class before voting for the student to represent them as the voice of Vermont’s fifth graders. The student with the most votes will become Kid Governor, and the six finalists will serve as the Kid Governor’s Cabinet. The team of student leaders will serve a one-year term, during which they will have the opportunity to work with the Vermont Secretary of State’s office to advance their platforms and inspire their constituents to make a difference in their local communities. Kid Governor is a program that the Vermont Secretary of State will host multiple years, giving many Vermont children access to this exciting opportunity.

Learn more about Vermont’s Kid Governor^® program here: https://vt.kidgovernor.org/