Mission

 1st Amendment-1st Vote is a non-partisan seminar and conference opportunity for high school girls to imagine themselves engaged in the political process as leaders and candidates for elected office in adulthood.
 

Vision

Gender parity in US elected offices at the local, state and national levels.
 

1st A-1st V Ecosystem

  • Giving Voice
  • Creating/Sustaining a Viable Pipeline of Ready Candidates
  • Achieving Gender Parity in Elected Offices

Purpose

1st Amendment-1st Vote creates experiential learning opportunities for high school girls to be active leaders engaged in the American political process and provides students with a “foundational tool kit” to run for elected office. 

why is this initiative vital to a democratic society?

It’s been  nearly 100 years since passage of the US Constitution’s Amendment XIX when women won the decades-long struggle for the right to vote in America. Women make up 51% of the current US population, yet continue to be substantially underrepresented in elected office, across-the-board, at a 4:1 ratio of men to women. 2018 marked an unprecedented time in America regarding the number of women running for office. However, there is still a long way to go to close the 30% gap necessary to achieve gender parity in elected offices at the local, state and national levels. While 1st Amendment-1st Vote is a non-partisan educational offering, it IS an early opportunity for high school girls to begin to imagine themselves as candidates for elected office, and start their engagement in the American political process. In doing so, teen girls ensure, that in their not-too-distant future, more and more women will be ready, willing, able to run for office and hold an equal number of seats as their male counterparts at these leadership tables.

At the Heart of It

LEADERSHIP | CIVIC ENGAGEMENT | EQUITY



We are committed to LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT of teen girls.

We expect gender parity in governance and leadership positions.

We highly value diverse student cohorts for participation in 1st A-1st V.

 We appreciate and applaud the courage, confidence, talent, time, effort and fundraising of women who step (have stepped) forward to mount a campaign for public office.

We seek strategic support and funding from individuals, organizations, and companies that share our mission and vision for girls. 

We encourage participants to actively engage in 1st A-1st V by voicing their thoughts, opinions, questions, and suggestions.


We are committed to effective communication.


We value collaborative relationships. 


We utilize and encourage use of media and technology to aid participation and interaction, teaching and learning.


Core Competencies

STUDENTS WILL...

  • Become deeply familiar with Amendment I and XIX of the US Constitution
  • Become familiar with the proposed Equal Rights Amendment
  • Appreciate the historical significance of:
    • the contribution of Central New York’s Indigenous Women to American democracy
    • Seneca Falls, New York as the birthplace of Women’s Rights in America
  • Know how and when to register to vote and cast an informed ballot
  • Articulate a vision for gender parity in local, state, and national offices
  • Become aware of fundamentals to mount a political campaign
  • Engage in focused discussions with current and former elected officials who are women 
  • Begin to imagine themselves as leaders/candidates for elected office in adulthood