FIND YOUR ONE THING: MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR COMMUNITY

The Secretaries of State of Washington and Oregon will visit Clark College
on Monday, April 13 during College Civics Week

VANCOUVER, Wash. – According to CIRCLE (The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement), an estimated 23 million young Americans under the age of 30 voted in the 2008 presidential election, an increase of 3.4 million compared with 2004. CIRCLE conducts research on the civic and political engagement of Americans between the ages of 15 and 25.

In an effort to encourage greater civic involvement among young people in Washington state, Secretary of State Sam Reed will visit Clark College on Monday, April 13 to mark the start of College Civics Week. At Clark, Reed will be joined by Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown. After launching the week’s events at Clark College, Reed will travel to college campuses throughout the state.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the Penguin Student Lounge from 2-3 p.m. The Penguin Student Lounge is located in the Penguin Union Building on the college’s main campus. Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way. Maps and driving directions are available at www.clark.edu/maps.

According to Patrick Mehigan, President of the Associated Students of Clark College (ASCC), “The theme of the College Civics Week event is ‘Find Your One Thing,’ which refers to finding the one thing that you can do to be more civically engaged in your community and school.”

Mehigan says ASCC will provide three donation bins during the event: one for clothing, one for food, and one for pet food. All donated goods will be given to Vancouver’s Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Habitat ReStore is a branch of Habitat for Humanity affiliates in Vancouver, Portland and Hillsboro. Sales from the Vancouver Habitat ReStore and from a Portland ReStore benefit all three of those nonprofit organizations, which build homes for low-income families.

“Being a contributor in your community doesn’t mean you have to turn your world upside down. Even one simple action can bring about change and encourage those around you,” said Reed. During his visit, Reed will invite students to visit his agency’s Web site to share “one thing” that they can do to make a contribution to their communities. Visitors will also be able to take an online “Civics Challenge” and get ideas for possible next steps. The online resources will be available, starting April 13, at http://www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/collegecivics.aspx.

This year marks the fourth annual College Civics Week, which is part of the Office of Secretary of State’s College Civics Program. It is funded by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), a federal law that was adopted after the 2000 Presidential Election.