Hartwick College Institute of Public Service Connects with Area High Schools Through an Essay, Video Competition

Oneonta, NY (12/12/2023) — Results from the 2022 midterm elections show a little over 20 percent of eligible 18 to 24-year-olds in New York State cast a ballot. That means more than 2 million eligible young people in New York did not vote. The Institute for Public Service wants to change that. And they hope a new essay and video competition will help.

Any high school student in the HartLand Promise area has the opportunity to compete in this first-ever contest. The top five contestants will receive cash prizes, with the first-place winner taking home $200. The winners will be invited to participate in a panel discussion on Tuesday, January 16, at Hartwick College. Every student who enters the contest is encouraged to attend the panel discussion, followed by a luncheon.

"When you talk to young people, they are very frustrated with the political system," said Zachary McKenney, assistant professor of and co-d of the Institute of Public Service. "This is why we are looking for an essay explaining why you think young people are dissatisfied with the system and suggest some creative ways that you can get young people involved."

McKenney and intern Kara Swartwood '24 visited Sara Beal's Oneonta High School's American history class this fall to discuss state and local government - and the competition.

"It was great to talk to the students and hear their excitement when they were told their opinion does matter," said Swartwood, a political science and criminal justice double major. "You could tell that this is something they don't get told often and instead told their opinion doesn't matter. To have this support and know that as young people, your opinion does carry value, that goes a long way in getting these high schoolers engaged in our democracy."

Entrants must submit a three to five-page typed essay or three to five-minute video by the deadline, December 15. Submissions will be judged equally. Videos will not be judged on production quality but on the quality of the ideas. More information can be found on the Hartwick Institute of Public Service high school essay/video competition page.

Funding for this competition was made possible through a grant from the Community Foundation of Otsego County.