Civic Engagement
At CEDA, we are dedicated to empowering high school students with the knowledge and skills to actively participate in democracy. We're committed to creating an annual Civic Engagement Day in every New Jersey high school, providing hands-on civic learning experiences to prepare students for informed civic engagement.
Day Act
Our Mission
CEDA is a student-led, nonpartisan initiative focused on establishing an annual Civic Engagement Day in every New Jersey high school. We're working to incorporate voter registration simulations, mock election days, and discussions with community leaders into high schools, aimed at equipping students with practical skills for participation in democracy.
Let's teach students how to:
Register to vote
Locate polling sites
Read a ballot
Our Supporters
Research & Curriculum Development
CEDA’s curriculum framework and implementation approach have been developed with research mentorship through Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Making Caring Common (MCC), under the guidance of Milena Batanova, Director of Research. In addition, we are incorporating insights from Tufts University’s Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) to align Civic Engagement Day with research-backed models of civic readiness, experiential learning, and youth participation. Together, these partnerships help ensure CEDA is evidence-informed, scalable for schools, and focused on practical civic confidence rather than partisanship.
Coalition Support
CEDA is supported by CivicsNJ, a coalition of 22 civic and democracy-focused organizations committed to strengthening civic education and youth engagement across New Jersey. Coalition partners provide feedback and statewide perspective to ensure the proposal reflects best practices and real community needs.
Legislative Guidance
CEDA has been advised by Nicholas Chiaravalloti (former New Jersey Assembly Majority Whip), who has provided guidance on legislative process, policy design, and pathways for effective implementation.
Legislative Outreach
CEDA is currently in active discussion with state legislators. Meetings to discuss sponsorship are scheduled with Assemblywoman Lisa Swain, Assemblyman Chris Tully, Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese Miller, and Assemblywoman Aura Dunn in January and early February.
Past Legislation
New Jersey has expanded civics through Laura Wooten’s Law and High School Voter Registration Week, strengthening civic knowledge and registration. But there’s still a gap in practical participation for high school students. CEDA builds on these efforts, complementing, not replacing, them with a hands-on civic engagement day.
Get Involved
Feel free to reach out to us to learn more about our initiatives or to collaborate with CEDA in promoting civic engagement among high school students.