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AGF is continually celebrating ten years of impact with the Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere Program. As we reflect on how the program has grown, the Campus Team at Mesa Community College reflected on the past seven years and their hopes for the future of civic engagement on the campus in Mesa, Arizona. 

Mesa Community College has been an Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere campus since 2017! What barriers to voting existed on campus prior to 2017?

Before 2017, Mesa Community College faced several common barriers to voting that often impact college campuses. These included limited voter registration and outreach opportunities on campus, a lack of accessible information about where and how to vote, and perhaps challenges with on-campus polling locations, which can prevent students from easily casting their ballots. The Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere initiatives introduced in 2017 helped address these barriers by increasing campus resources and support for student-led student engagement efforts.

From what you know of how things were in 2017, when it comes to voting and civic engagement on campus, what are some of the most noticeable changes?

Since Mesa Community College became an Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere campus in 2017, there have been several transformative changes in voting and civic engagement such as increased voter education and registration drives. With events such as Civic Action Hours, workshops on ballot choices, and a mindfulness theme around voter engagement, there has been a clear effort to foster an ongoing culture of civic participation beyond just voting in elections. Students have stepped into leadership roles, serving as ambassadors and champions for voting on campus.

How has the general campus’ perception of voting and civic engagement evolved since 2017?

Since 2017, Mesa Community College has experienced a noticeable shift in the campus culture around voting and civic engagement. Students may now see voting and civic engagement as accessible and relevant to their college experience. Through consistent programming, the campus has fostered a sense of responsibility among students to participate in civic life. Students increasingly view voting as an important duty and recognize how local and national elections impact them directly.

How has your Campus Team reflected on the legacy of Andrew Goodman, James Earl Chaney, Michael Schwerner, and Freedom Summer 1964 over these seven years?

The Andrew Goodman Ambassadors of Mesa Community College understand the honor and the implied duties in carrying out these legacies. To continue these legacies, the Ambassadors organize and execute a wide array of events on campus to promote civic engagement and voter education on campus. Some events include the Mesa Mayoral Candidate Forum, in collaboration with the Student Government at MCC to invite the candidates for the Mesa Mayor position on campus and hold discussions with students, and Monday Morning Chats, which takes place biweekly to encourage student discussion on campus topics related to voting. National Voter Education Week provided multiple educational materials presented to students in digestible formats. These activities keep in mind the great legacies of the aforementioned heroes and honor their sacrifice by continuing to bring accessible voting to all students regardless of their background.

What are some ways that the Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere program has supported your efforts on campus to increase voter and civic engagement?

Some of the ways in which the program has supported us are with the necessary information, training, and work strategies. By providing a budget, the AGF Ambassadors can plan events and activities for the semester. This allows the Ambassadors to bring numerous resources to the campus.

What are your hopes and dreams for what civic engagement will look like on campus four years from now?

Ideally, we hope to continue growing Civic Engagement at Mesa Community College by connecting with more partners and finding resources that can impact the campus community. In the future, we hope to influence the college to provide more opportunities to advertise voter drives and voter education. Andrew Goodman Ambassadors will continue to support the Center for Community & Civic Engagement (CCCE).

What were the team’s main goals to increase and support voter engagement and turnout in 2024?

Supporting the Center for Community & Civic Engagement Action Plan guided Andrew Goodman Ambassadors in their event planning and execution. The Ambassadors coordinated to ensure at least one was present throughout any event involving voter engagement tabling. The team also attended workshops, the Arizona Student Vote Summit, and much more.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

We would like to share how much the Andrew Goodman Foundation has helped our activities on campus. There are multiple times when our supplies (whether it’s ideas or physical materials) run low and we can see students’ participation went down. With the support and mentorship from AGF, we can observe the current trends happening in other communities from our video call with the organization. These Zoom calls allow us to receive fresh ideas from students in other campuses. At times, it feels like our work is not enough and the challenges feel too overwhelming. This is when the AGF community is amazing because communication with other Andrew Goodman Campus Teams re-fosters our belief and give us strength to continue our work for all the students on campus.

Stay tuned as we continue our Campus Connections series, featuring each of our Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere Campus Teams, the impact made on campus, and how they are living the legacy during this pivotal point in our nation’s history.