The League of Women Voters of Needham at Needham High School Club registered/pre-registered 64 students at the student-led voter registration drive on January 10. Members of the club conducted the registration drive in the High School cafeteria during all three lunch periods.

Students prepared signs, organized a table for students to visit during lunch, and approached fellow students as they ate lunch to make sure they registered as many students as possible. A few club members even went outside the cafeteria to other places where students may gather at lunchtime.

LWV-Needham Civic Education Chair Karen Walker offered support, giving advice during planning, providing materials, answering questions, and delivering the completed forms to the town clerk.

The LWV Club at Needham High, now in its second year, has grown to 17 members. The club is led by founding members Eva Gorenburg and Eleanor Mackey. The student-led voter registration drive is consistent with the new Civics Education law, which requires programs to register and pre-register voters at Massachusetts high schools and encourages student-led projects.

The League of Women Voters of Needham at Needham High School Club was conceived shortly after LWVUS, followed by LWVMA, announced there would be no per-member-payments for student members. In the summer of 2018, the LWV Needham board began exploring the possibility of engaging a group of high school students. We were lucky when our scholarship winner that year recommended his younger sister!

One of our members, a Needham High social studies teacher, agreed to be the faculty advisor, and a group of five, later nine, sophomore girls initiated and joined the club and the League.

In addition to leading the Voter Registration Drive, Club members have spoken at the LWV Needham Ballot Question Forum in the fall of 2018 and continue to create and distribute  “birthday bags” for 18-year-olds at Needham High. The bags contain materials encouraging voting and civic engagement.

Student members also work with LWV Needham on special projects, including television shows, events, and the Civics Bee.

Local Leagues interested in discussing starting a local high school League club can contact president@lwv-needham.org.