Baltimore Students to Fulfill Service Learning Hours Through New Civic Engagement Program
A new program launching in November will allow Baltimore high school students to earn required service-learning hours by participating in voter registration drives, election judge recruitment, and other civic engagement activities.
Baltimore Votes, in partnership with the Baltimore City Board of Elections, is expanding its efforts to engage young voters with the Student Service Learning Ambassadors Program. The initiative, beginning in November 2025, will enable students aged 16 and older to fulfill a 75-hour service-learning requirement through activities designed to promote political awareness and participation. This comes as cities nationwide grapple with declining youth voter turnout and a need to cultivate the next generation of engaged citizens.
The program builds on the success of Baltimore Votes’ Student Election Judge Program, launched in 2022 to address a shortage of poll workers and increase student civic engagement. Nadia Robinson, a senior at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, recalled initial outreach efforts, stating, “I remember sharing student election judge information and the most common response I got from peers was, ‘I’m actually old enough to register to vote?’” Peyton Tubman, a senior at Western High School, added, “I learned more about the importance of elections, as well as the process, and I was able to educate my peers on topics that they were unfamiliar with.” Students participating in the program will also serve as election judges in the May 2026 and November 2026 elections; learn more about the role of an election judge here.
Applications for the Student Service Learning Program are currently being accepted on a rolling basis at baltimorevotes.org/student-service-learning until each Baltimore school has a representative. Interested students must be 16 or older by May 2026 and committed to completing their 75 hours of service learning by November 2026.
Officials stated that the program aims to not only improve youth civic awareness but also bolster the electoral process by increasing the number of student election judges available to assist voters.
