The city of San Diego has announced the winners of the Dr. Shirley N. Weber Voter Registration Challenge during an awards ceremony held at City Hall.
The challenge, a two-week initiative held in April, was a partnership between the Office of the City Clerk and the Office of Child and Youth Success. It aimed to increase civic engagement among high school students in line with the California Education Code, which designates the last two weeks of April and September as High School Voter Education Weeks.
California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Mayor Todd Gloria and City Clerk Diana Fuentes presented awards to the schools with the highest number of participating students and the best participation rates.
“We’re thrilled to partner with the Office of Child and Youth Success and our local schools for this annual challenge. This initiative enhances accessibility and promotes greater equity by providing San Diego youth with more options to obtain voter registration cards,” said Fuentes.
Nine high schools participated in the challenge, which was open to students between the ages of 16 and 18. The following schools were recognized for their efforts:
Most Student Participation:
- Will C. Crawford High School
- Gompers Preparatory Academy
- Preuss School UC San Diego
Highest Participation Percentage:
- San Diego Metropolitan Regional, Career and Technical High School (SD MET)
During the challenge, school staff distributed voter registration materials and encouraged eligible students to register or pre-register. While students 18 and older could register to vote, those aged 16 or 17 were encouraged to pre-register so they would be automatically added to the voter rolls when they turned 18.
All participating schools were invited to attend the ceremony. Crawford High also received a visit from local media personality Geena the Latina.
