The Center for Civic Engagement is proud to introduce Georgia’s first Kid Lieutenant Governor, June Humphries, an Oglethorpe Point Elementary student. She was sworn in on February 20, along with Georgia’s first Kid Governor, Aurianna Jordan, by Justice Shawn LaGrua of the Georgia Supreme Court at the Nathan Deal Judicial Complex in Atlanta.
After being nominated by their fifth grade classes to run for office, both Aurianna and June developed platforms focused on improving the lives of fifth graders across the state. Based on these platforms, fifth graders cast their votes for the candidates and selected the Kid Governor and Lieutenant Governor as a part of the Center for Civic Engagement’s YOUth Vote program. YOUth Vote is a free program available to all Georgia students grades K-12 in which students vote in mock elections for both state-level and federal elections. Following the election, the Kid Governor and Lieutenant Governor were announced and began preparations for their inauguration and year of service. The pair represents the first time that Georgia has elected a Kid Governor and Lieutenant Governor, and they will join Georgia’s high school Youth Governor Alli Waltman, Lieutenant Governor Aaryan Kolsawala, and other Youth Officials to lead the state’s students in civic engagement. When asked about the inaugural year of the program, Center for Civic Engagement President and CEO Dr. Randell E. Trammell stated “We are most excited to launch the Kid Governor program in Georgia to expand our civic education programs into the elementary grades. Research shows that the earlier and more often that a student is exposed to civic skills, the more fully they develop in their civic knowledge, civic identity, and civic competencies.”
Kid Governor Jordan and Kid Lieutenant Governor Humphries were joined by their families, friends, Youth Officials, and State dignitaries for their inauguration at the Supreme Court. They shared with attendees about the inspiration behind their platforms, and took time to explain their plan of action. Aurianna and June will spend 2023 promoting civic engagement and leading elementary school students from across the state in community clean-ups, in-school recycling programs, and innovative after school activities.
Georgia’s Kid Governor® is a national award-winning civics program led by the Georgia Center for Civic Engagement and created by The Connecticut Democracy Center. You can learn more about the Georgia Center for Civic Education and the Kid Governor program online at georgiacivics,org, or on social media @georgiacivics.