GenerationNation

Developing a new generation of civic leaders.

Through GenerationNation, K-12 students learn first-hand how their governments and communities work; understand and play an active role in school and civic decision-making; know how to find and use good sources of news and civic information; and, build social capital, knowledge, experience, and opportunity for leadership and success now and into college, career, and civic life.​

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GenerationNation

Building a new generation of civic leaders for Charlotte and beyond. K-12 civic literacy + civic leadership @GenerationNation @GenNation @nc.civics

North Carolina K-12 educators are invited to “Re-Engage 2026,” a free, experiential two-day deep-dive into North Carolina local government, that centers its relevance to our everyday lives!

This event is funded by the NC City & County Managers Association, with support from @generationnation, @cltgov, @mecklenburgcounty, and @carolinak_12

In a time when our nation is increasingly plagued by political polarization and confidence in our civic institutions and governing bodies wanes, it is imperative to re-engage in preparing our youth (and ourselves) with the knowledge, skills, dispositions, and motivation to be responsible, informed and active citizens and community members. And while federal government and presidential elections are often the focus of our attention, it is our local government that tangibly impacts our daily lives – from water quality to trash collection to sports/recreation.

Learn more and sign up for the free teacher PD: https://humanities.unc.edu/event/lgs26/
Charlotte youth leaders: have an idea to transform your school for the better?

This semester, GenerationNation is awarding MINI-GRANTS to high school Student Councils/SGAs/school leadership clubs for project ideas that create real impact across Charlotte 💡

Projects can focus on:
🎤 Student voice
🏫 Campus improvements
🤝 Neighborhood outreach
🧩 School & community problem-solving

Last year’s grantees included Merancas, who hosted community-building lunches; CPCC Early’s student speaking competition; Harding fostered student-alumni connections; Levine’s Clean Up Crew made the campus shine; and West Charlotte engaged students from neighborhood schools.

YOU can a difference! Apply by February 13. Link in bio!
✨ Have an idea to transform your school for the better? ✨

This semester, GenerationNation is awarding MINI-GRANTS to high school Student Councils/SGAs for project ideas that create real impact across Charlotte 💡

Projects can focus on:
🎤 Student voice
🏫 Campus improvements
🤝 Neighborhood outreach
🧩 School & community problem-solving

Last year’s grantees included Merancas, who hosted community-building lunches; CPCC Early’s student speaking competition; Harding fostered student-alumni connections; Levine’s Clean Up Crew made the campus shine; and West Charlotte engaged students from neighborhood schools.

YOU can a difference! Apply by February 13. Link in bio!
📚✨ New semester, new opportunities! ✨📚

Charlotte area youth: Now’s the perfect time to get involved and take the lead in YOUR school district and YOUR city 🏙️🎤

Want to make your voice heard in CMS and city decision-making? 💬 Join Charlotte-Mecklenburg Youth Council (CMYC) — the CMS Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council and the official youth council for the City of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County governments! 🙌🏽

🤝 Work with CMS, government, and community leaders
💡 Share your ideas on the BIG issues in schools and your city
🚀 Build skills, grow your networks, and gain real experience
✅ Meet new friends from different schools and neighborhoods!
🌱 Help plan YOUR city and school district today and shape Charlotte looks like for the future 

CMYC is a partnership between youth, @charmeckschools, @cltgov, @mecklenburgcounty, and @generationnation 

👉🏼 Sign up now: tinyurl.com/joincmyc
The @nbafoundation announced its 16th round of grantmaking today, continuing its mission to expand economic opportunity and workforce pathways for young people in under-resourced communities across the country.

GenerationNation is honored and thrilled to join our friends at @goalachievers as new Charlotte partners of the foundation, and @yblaleadership and @hbganttcenter who are returning partners! Many thanks to NBA Foundation and @hornets @hornetscommunity for supporting Charlotte youth and our collective work!

Through sustained investment in education, career readiness and workforce development, the NBA Foundation is building long-term pathways to economic mobility by partnering with nonprofit organizations that connect young people to training, mentorship and real-world career opportunities. Learn more about NBA Foundation and read their grant announcements at the link in their bio.
From GenerationNation to Chapel Hill + Durham 💙🩵 With Katie on home turf at Duke and Ailen bravely stepping into enemy territory as a Tarheel, we love to see that real friendships survive high school…and even NC’s biggest rivalry. Different campuses, same bond! 👯‍♀️🔥
Honoring Dr. King by living his legacy. 🖤

Morgan reminds us that MLK’s call to service still guides us — asking, “What are we doing for others?” and choosing lives rooted in helping people.
Bee reflects on this day as more than time off — a moment to honor how far we’ve come and the courage it took to push for real change in the Black community. Quinten calls on us, especially young people, to raise our voices now — for our communities, our futures, and justice.

✅ Thank you to our students for inspiring us today (and every day)! Thank you to The Charlotte Observer and Theoden Janes for spotlighting young leaders and their voices.

Service. Youth voice. Positive change. This is how the dream lives on. ✨✊🏽
👋🏼Meet Inchara, 2026 @cmsstudentadvisor! She advises @cmsboard at their meetings this year. While NC law precludes the Student Advisor from officially voting on district policy and decisions, Inchara will engage in all board meeting discussions to represent CMS students in district governance. That’s powerful! 💪🏼

GenerationNation is proud to partner with the school board and CMS to elevate student leadership and voice through this position and other programs. ✅

HS students are invited to work with Inchara through Charlotte-Mecklenburg Youth Council, or CMYC (sign up in our pinned post or link in our bio). 

Many thanks to James Farrell at @wfae for helping to introduce Inchara to the community!
🙏🏼 Many thanks to the Bojangles Foundation Fund for partnering with GenerationNation to improve civic literacy among students across Charlotte. Together, we are developing a new generation of civic leaders!
Youth Lead applications are due December 31 ‼️ Who can be a civic leader? YOU! 

Apply to be part of the January-May 2026 Youth Lead program for grades 9-11.

💪🏽 Build your civic leadership

📚Explore and learn how Charlotte works

😎 Meet friends from different schools

🏛️ Engage with community leaders

✅ Find out about careers connected to
government, civic leadership, community investing, public service, and more

🙌🏽 Become a civic difference maker across CMS and your city

🚨Applications are due December 31. Apply at tinyurl.com/ylcmapply
😊Always one of the BEST times of the year! Many thanks to alumni members who took time out of their busy school, work, and holiday schedules to meet with our youth to talk about college, careers, leadership, and life after high school! Thank you to Katie Eilers, Chase Howard, Ailen De Bonis, Zahara Mushinge, Sidney Griffin, Calvin Duong, Hadiya Presswood, Unique Patton, Caitlyn Smith, and Stella Rodriguez. We appreciate and are so proud of each of you!! (Connect with these awesome alumni on LinkedIn, where they are tagged on GenerationNation’s post there!!)
GenerationNation is strategizing for 2026 and beyond, and we want to hear from you! If you are a GenerationNation student, alumni, educator, parent, supporter, partner, or someone else with an interest in developing the next generation of civic leaders, please consider taking a few minutes to complete this brief survey tinyurl.com/gnfuture2026

Thank you. We hope you have a wonderful holiday season!
👋🏼 GenNation Alumni! We hope you can join us on December 17 for the annual alumni event with GenerationNation youth. It is a great time to mentor high school students, catch up with friends, and network with other alumni! 📆 Sign up now and mark your calendars. Hope to see you soon! (Also check your email about this - it might be in junk:-)
🇬🇧🇺🇸 🇬🇧🇺🇸 🇬🇧🇺🇸 We had so much fun kicking off “Voices Across Borders”, a monthly virtual dialogue - hopefully one day in person! - between youth in Charlotte and at Eastbury Community School in London! Youth had a great time sharing about favorite foods and music, what’s happening in their cities and countries, politics, and more! Can’t wait for the next conversation in January! 

🙌🏽This project is a partnership between youth, @eastburycommunity, @hnsyouthprograms, and @generationnation
Please consider making a donation to GenerationNation this Giving Tuesday (or any time of the year). By making a financial donation to GenerationNation, a 501c3 nonprofit organization focused on K-12 civic literacy and youth civic leadership education, you can help to ensure that every student has the opportunity to be a civic leader! Help youth to gain knowledge and experience to transform our schools, cities, and nation for the better and gain skills and networks for success now and into college, career, and civic life. Make a donation at donorbox.org/gnfund, Venmo @generationnation, Cashapp $generationnation, or mail a check to PO Box 31365, Charlotte NC 28231. Thank you!
👋🏼 GenNation Alumni! We hope you can join us on December 17 for the annual alumni event with GenerationNation youth. It is a great time to mentor high school students, catch up with friends, and network with other alumni! 📆 Sign up now and mark your calendars. Hope to see you soon!
We had a great time working with 50 AMAZING student leaders at @wakeprecollege! We explored ways Charlotte youth take action as civic leaders - serving, leading, teaching, sharing stories, amplifying information, raising and giving funds and goods, encouraging others to act, and more! Big issues and possible solutions identified by youth included what’s happening in Charlotte with ICE/CBP, sidewalks and bike lanes, pollution, drug abuse, unpaid caregiving by women, littering, need for music programs, affordable housing, and urban tree canopies. Excited to see all you accomplish, and can’t wait for you to get involved in GenerationNation! Thanks again for inviting us to work with you!
Morgan, April, Luka, Bee, Alita, and Samuel led an engaging discussion about youth leadership and civic engagement with officials from Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, and Saudi Arabia! We shared about best practices and our experiences in Charlotte and gave advice for setting up good youth programs in our visitors’ communities and countries. It was interesting to discuss policy with international guests and see how translators and State Dept officials work. Thank you for wanting to hear from US youth. We can’t wait to see new ways you will engage with youth in your countries!
Who can be a civic leader? YOU! Apply now to be part of the January-May 2026
YouthLEAD program for grades 9-11

💪🏽 Build your civic leadership

📚Explore and learn how Charlotte works

😎 Meet friends from different schools

🏛️ Engage with community leaders

✅ Find out about careers connected to
government, civic leadership, community investing, public service, and more

🙌🏽 Become a civic difference maker across CMS and your city

👩🏽‍💻Applications are open! Apply now at tinyurl.com/ylcmapply
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾Congrats to Morgan Winston, presented the Living Legends Award with her Girl Scout troop mate Maya at last night’s Who’s Who in Black Charlotte gala! Proud of you Morgan!!!

Morgan and Maya created a documentary “Telling Our Story: Charlotte’s Black History” in 2023.

Morgan serves as Co-President of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Youth Council (CMYC), which is the CMS Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council and youth council for City of Charlotte and  Mecklenburg County local governments. CMYC is a GenerationNation program. Morgan serves on the GenerationNation Board of Directors and is East Mecklenburg High School Student Congress President.
Elections aren’t only for adults, thanks to GenerationNation! Between October 20 and November 4, 2025, thousands of Charlotte-area students learned about the government offices on the 2025 ballot, analyzed candidates for local office, used civic information to make decisions, and cast their own ballots on Election 2025 races.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) high school students voted to elect their own student representative to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, selecting North Mecklenburg junior Inchara Gopinath to serve as the school board’s 2026 Student Advisor. The program is a partnership between CMS, the school board, and GenerationNation.

“The student advisor program is a unique opportunity for students across the district to build civic literacy, strengthen student involvement in district governance, and elevate student voice. At a time when many adults are disengaged from civic life, it is especially inspiring to see students leading the way – demonstrating what it means to be informed, thoughtful, and actively involved in their schools and community.”- Amy Farrell, GenerationNation Executive Director.

In addition to electing a student representative, thousands of K-12 students participated in GenerationNation’s mock election, launched in 1992 and still known to many as “Kids Voting”. Over 1 million Charlotte-area students have participated since the program started here. Here are the results of the 2025 student vote! Student winners are in italics, with the official winners underlined. See where the student vote differs from the adults!
Meet the candidates and vote now for 2026 CMS Student Advisor! The @cmsstudentadvisor to the @cmsboard represents @charmeckschools students in school board meetings and discussions, and also serves as an officer on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Youth Council, which is the CMS Student Advisory Council! 

Use the QR code, link in our bio, or go to cmsk12.org/board/boardsa-vote to vote. Only CMS high school students may vote. Use your CMS student email to log in and cast your ballot for one of these awesome candidates:

@aahana4studentadvisor 
@just_.sanaii 
@sofie_.cheng 
@inchara4cmsadvisor
@vote4ericc
@brianna_dacruz
@vote.english_for_sa.today
shernelle4advisor
@votewinnykapuba 
@devmiller_nc
@votenandhana
Students vote! GenerationNation’s student election program - “Kids Voting” - helps K-12 students to build civic literacy and take informed civic action through real-world learning connected to Election 2025 and Charlotte-Mecklenburg local government! The student vote ends on  Election Day (November 4) 2025.

Students, you can make your voices heard and weigh in on real races on this year’s ballot, including Charlotte and town mayor, CMS school board districts 1-6, and Mecklenburg’s transportation sales tax referendum. 

It isn’t just a mock vote for CMS high school students, you vote to elect your own representative to serve with the school board!

Find nonpartisan civics teaching resources and mock elections ballots at GenerationNation.org
What an incredible student-led discussion about NC education policy with State Superintendent Mo Green! Topics covered included service-learning and civics, AI, student mental health, resource equity, school lunches, school funding, and more! Thank you Superintendent Green for being a champion for student voice! Great job, students!!
Kids vote! Students across Charlotte-Mecklenburg are building their civics muscles and know-how by learning about offices on the ballot, analyzing local government and school board candidates, and making their voices heard in this year’s mock election! This class of informed and engaged voters attends Stoney Creek Elementary. You’re looking at the future of democracy!!
Meet the candidates and vote now for 2026 CMS Student Advisor! The @cmsstudentadvisor to the @cmsboard represents @charmeckschools students in school board meetings and discussions, and also serves as an officer on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Youth Council, which is the CMS Student Advisory Council! 

Use the QR code, link in our bio, or go to cmsk12.org/board/boardsa-vote to vote. Only CMS high school students may vote. Use your CMS student email to log in and cast your ballot for one of these awesome candidates:

@aahana4studentadvisor 
@just_.sanaii 
@sofie_.cheng 
@inchara4cmsadvisor
@vote4ericc
@brianna_dacruz
@vote.english_for_sa.today
@shernelle4advisor
@votewinnykapuba 
@devmiller_nc
@votenandhana
CMS junior Samuel Gwin had a fun evening representing GenerationNation at the Hornets Heroes Gala! He was a featured speaker at the event, providing a testimonial about his leadership as Co-President of CMYC and at GenerationNation, where he is a student advisor on the Board of Directors. He spoke about how the Charlotte Hornets Foundation’s Education Grant to GenerationNation impacts students across Charlotte.

He says “meeting new people, creating new connections, and finding others in the same career field that I want to be in isn’t taken lightly and I want to continue being involved.” After high school, Samuel hopes  to go into the Navy, college, and law school, and one day become District Attorney or Attorney General!

Many thanks to Betsy Mack, Charlotte Hornets Foundation @hornetscommunity, Charlotte Hornets, and CMS for collaborating with us to shine a light on one of Charlotte’s brightest emerging leaders, Samuel Gwin!!!
Ready to vote?!? Now’s your chance! All @charmeckschools high school students can vote now through November 4 for YOUR student representative to @cmsboard! Use the QR code or link in our bio and cast a vote for one of these amazing candidates for @cmsstudentadvisor 

@aahana4studentadvisor 
@just_.sanaii 
@sofie_.cheng 
@inchara4cmsadvisor
@vote4ericc
@brianna_dacruz
@vote.english_for_sa.today
@shernelle4advisor
@votewinnykapuba 
@devmiller_nc 
@votenandhana
K-12 teachers, GenerationNation’s student election program - “Kids Voting” - can help your students to build civic literacy and take informed civic action through real-world learning connected to Election 2025 and Charlotte-Mecklenburg local government! Students vote October 20 until Election Day (November 4) 2025.

Students, make your voices heard and weigh in on real races on this year’s ballot, including Charlotte and town mayor, CMS school board districts 1-6, and Mecklenburg’s transportation sales tax referendum. 

It isn’t just a mock vote for CMS high school students, who vote to elect their own representative to serve with the school board!

Find nonpartisan civics teaching resources and mock elections ballots at GenerationNation.org
🙌🏽 136 AMAZING CMS juniors and sophomores from 31 HS applied to be a candidate for 2026 Student Advisor to the CMS Board of Education! What happens next?

📖This week, the school board’s review panel is reading allll of the applications. 

🗓️On September 30 around 4:30pm, the board will announce the finalists live on their Facebook page (don’t worry…we’ll post it here right after!)

🗣️Beginning October 1, the finalists will campaign and share more about why they are running and why they deserve your vote 

🗳️October 20-November 4, all CMS high school students can vote to elect who YOU think should represent students as 2026 Student Advisor to the Board of Education. Results of the vote will be announced November 5. (K-8 will get to make their voices heard too in the mock election)

✅We will keep you updated throughout the process. And remember, ALL area HS students can get involved in CMS policy and decision making by joining Charlotte-Mecklenburg Youth Council, which is the CMS Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council. (And the official youth council for Charlotte and Meck County governments!) Sign up from the CMS website or the link in our bio!
Ready to take the lead in YOUR school district and YOUR city? Want to make your voice heard in CMS and city decisionmaking?

Join Charlotte-Mecklenburg Youth Council: the CMS Superintendent’s Student Advisory Committee and the official youth council for the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County local governments.

Engage with CMS, government, and community leaders, meaningfully share your feedback and ideas on the big issues in schools and in your city, and boost your personal skills, networks, and experience.

Help plan the city today and impact what it will look like in the future. Meet new friends from different schools and neighborhoods!

CMYC is a partnership between youth, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, and GenerationNation. Sign up now at tinyurl.com/joincmyc
Happy 2025-2026 school year! Best wishes  to all students and educators…we know you’re starting your best year ever. It is a joy and a privilege to work with you!!
🗣️Charlotte college students: looking for a meaningful internship/job opportunity this semester? GenerationNation is seeking a Youth Program Assistant! If you’re looking for an opportunity that fits around your studies, this could be perfect for you.

You’ll provide crucial administrative, logistical, and programmatic support to our youth programs, including the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Youth Council. This role is ideal for college students who are organized, detail-oriented, and passionate about fostering future civic leaders. This is a paid position with academic credit available.

Hours: 3-5 hours per week (mix of virtual and in-person, including some Wednesday early evening meetings). 

Location: Charlotte

Work Period: September 2 - December 19, 2025 (with potential for extension into 2026)

✅ Ready to make an impact and gain valuable experience? Apply by September 1. More info at tinyurl.com/gnyouthintern or check out the link in our bio.
Many thanks to all who joined us at the Civic Leaders Breakfast! What a special morning for everyone in the room! So incredible to hear from amazing community leaders and students who are already working to transform their schools and city for the better!

Thank you to…

Kobi Brinson, Nate Hogan, and Betsy Mack, who spoke powerfully and meaningfully about the importance of civic literacy and youth leadership 

Civic Educator of the Year Latonda Mitchell, Civic Leader of the Year Charles Jeter, and All Star 4 Year Leader Chase Howard - we couldn’t do this work without you

April Alonso, Samuel Gwin, and Morgan Winston, who spoke and led much of the event, and will serve on the GenerationNation board this year and co-lead Charlotte-Mecklenburg Youth Council

GenerationNation board chair Diane Gavarkavich and Vice Chair Righteous Keitt, and the entire board who helped to make this event a success

Sponsors Charlotte Hornets Foundation, Foundation for the Carolinas, Brighthouse Financial, DTG Community Services, Truliant Foundation, CLT Public Relations, and Margaret Marshall 

Special thanks to the African American Leadership Academy of Charlotte, state and local officials, and everyone for your support!