Elevating Voices, Inspiring Change: Rocketship Votes in Action

At Rocketship, we are proud to champion civic engagement as part of our mission to catalyze change in low-income communities. During this most recent election, we ran our Rocketship Votes campaign across our national network of public schools – leveraging the trust we’ve built with thousands of families to help them understand the power of their voices and their votes. Over three months, our Rocketship Votes Fellows dedicated more than 900 hours to organizing school events, canvassing families, engaging staff, and hosting student elections—all to inspire voter registration and participation. Research shows that when parents are more civically engaged, their children achieve more academically, reinforcing our vision of equal access to opportunity for all.

“[Participating in the Rocketship Votes! Fellowship] sparked something in me that I want to continue. It lit a fire behind me to keep doing this work of making sure our families are voting. I really appreciated this opportunity.”
– Keisha Cogdell, 5th Grade Teacher, Rocketship Nashville Northeast Elementary

“I learned a lot through doing this. I feel more informed. The first time I voted was in 2020 and I didn’t really know much about the importance of what I was doing then. Because of this, I was so much more involved and inspired and knowledgeable because I had to make sure our families were too.”
– Imani Kenley, Kinder Math Teacher, Rocketship Infinity Community Prep

We also focused on educating our Rocketeers about democracy and the value of their voice. From curriculum units on voting to student council elections, our students learned firsthand about the importance of participating in their communities. Together, we are creating a culture of civic engagement that unleashes the potential of our families and communities – today and tomorrow.

Published on December 2, 2024