Secretary of State launches Kid Governor program for Vermont 5th graders

June 9, 2025  |  By Waterbury Roundabout

Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas invites fifth-grade classes across the state to join a national civic education initiative called Kid Governor that she’s launching in Vermont this year. 

Kid Governor is a free program that teaches fifth-grade students about state government, voting, and the importance of civic engagement using an election to choose a Kid Governor for the stae. The program will debut during the 2025-26 school year, with its first election in November 2025.

Founded by the Connecticut Democracy Center in 2015, the program has spread nationwide, gaining support from educators and elected officials. Vermont joins Nebraska, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Oregon this year in bringing this civic learning experience to fifth graders.

“Secretaries of State across the country have been enthusiastic supporters of Kid Governor, and we are thrilled to be partnering with the Vermont Secretary’s Office to bring the program to the state’s fifth-grade classrooms,” said Brian Cofrancesco, program director at the Connecticut Democracy Center. “Kid Governor gives young people an opportunity to get involved in civics at an early age—and it’s our goal to empower them to remain engaged in our democracy and within their communities for the rest of their lives. We welcome our newest affiliate program and look forward to Vermont’s fifth graders electing their state’s first Kid Governor this fall!”

Copeland Hanzas said one of her top priorities has been to increase civic engagement, particularly among young Vermonters. “Voting is an important civic duty that these fifth graders will get to learn more about, but I’m particularly excited that Kid Governor invites them to think about problems that they would like to solve if they were in elected office,” she said. “This is a crucial lesson for our youth: when you live in a democracy, you can step up to run for office and help solve a problem! I can’t wait to work with our first Kid Governor and their cabinet.”

This fall, individual fifth-grade classes can register with the Vermont Secretary of State’s office to participate in Kid Governor. Each school can nominate one student for the election to determine Vermont’s 2026 Kid Governor. Candidates must identify an important community issue and develop a three-point platform with ways that fifth graders can address that issue. School nominees will create campaign videos explaining their ideas and appealing to fellow fifth-grade voters to elect them.  

Seven finalists will be selected to run in a statewide election in November. All fifth graders from participating schools will watch the candidate videos before voting. The student with the most votes will become Kid Governor, and the six finalists will serve as the Kid Governor's cabinet. They all will serve a one-year term, during which they will have the opportunity to work with the Vermont Secretary of State’s office to advance their platforms and inspire their constituents to make a difference in their local communities. 

Copeland Hanzas said the program would continue in future years, giving many Vermont children a chance to participate. 

More information is online about Vermont’s Kid Governor program.