Sandy Hook homeschool seventh grade student Nia Rackley wants youth to know that 88% of young people who responded to a national survey, led in part by Nia, said the 2020 election helped them understand how government works.

According to a release prepared and shared by Nia, the #CivicsForUS social media campaign is the project of the Youth As Civic Experts Network, a nationwide network of middle and high school students advocating for equitable civic education.

In a recent phone interview Nia explained that the survey was started in March, and as a member of the network she worked on the survey.

“I think it is important that we know how students feel about civic education and not just how the teachers feel about it,” said Nia.

To be a member of the Youth As Civic Experts Network, Nia explained, students have to be recommended by a teacher. They then fill out a survey and write two essays on civic education.

Nia started participating with the group in October.

“I wanted to get involved because it is important that everybody knows about civic education, because even if you don’t want to get involved, it is your duty and your right as a citizen,” said Nia.

Also according to the release, #CivicsForUS is designed to start a conversation among young people about how civic engagement and civic education experiences can be more relevant to all students, no matter their backgrounds. Nia is one of 35 students leading the effort. Funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Youth As Civic Experts Network was developed to provide young people in eighth to twelfth grade the opportunity to explore equity in civic education.

Nia explained the recent survey was directed at all students across the country.

“It was just to get a grasp of how they feel about [civics education],” Nia said.

According to the release, between March and June, Nia and the Youth As Civic Expert Network will use the hashtag #CivicsForUS to engage other young people in a conversation and give them the opportunity to share their experiences in their local communities. The listening tour asks students from fifth grade through college to share first-hand why they feel civic education is important right now, and how it can be more equitable and relevant to them and their peers. So far, the effort has collected more than 4,700 responses from 43 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. A full analysis of the listening tour is expected in the summer.

The Youth As Civic Experts Network, a project of iCivics, was designed to engage students in conversation so that adults and stakeholders in school communities can use youth feedback to inform policy writing and curriculum, and ultimately change the way they engage with students to create civics experiences, according to the release. The Youth As Civic Experts Network includes paid and unpaid fellows and alumni program students grades eight to 12 from 15 states. These students meet monthly for seminars to discuss equity in civic education with the iCivics team.

“We’re really trying to make sure all students can learn about civics education from it and hopefully that can start a career for them from it,” Nia said about the recent iCivics effort.

The campaign listening tour and social media campaign end on June 30. For more information see the website icivics.org/civicsforus.

Eliza Hallabeck can be reached at eliza@thebee.com.