High school students from Montgomery and Delaware Counties visited Cabrini’s campus on Friday, March 3, for the Good Governance Summit hosted by Senator Amanda Cappelletti, Representative of Pennsylvania Senate District 17.
The Good Governance Summit is an annual tradition for the office of the District 17 representative. Students gathered in Cabrini’s Widener Center to participate in simulated legislative sessions for three mock bills that would impact voter access and election processes.
“As the next generation of voters, I believe it’s important that you understand what your legislature is doing to give you future access to the ballot box,” said Cappelletti. “It is my hope that today’s events will give you a better understanding of voter access here in Pennsylvania and how you can form your own educated opinions at the ballot box in the future.”
Bryn Campbell, Director, Undergraduate Admissions, welcomed the students to campus and introduced the Cabrini mission.
“Everything we do has some kind of service component or a social justice piece to it, which probably speaks to you all as you’re sitting in this room thinking about experiences within government,” Campbell said. “That is all service, all social justice.”
Following the introduction, students broke out into committees, followed by caucus sessions and senate floor debates. The simulation ensured students would need to make compromises across ideological boundaries as they debated the three bills.
“Introducing our youth to civic engagement and education is pivotal to the success of our future elections and government,” Cappelletti said following the event, according to a press release. “As the generation that will be directly impacted by the decisions of today’s leaders, we must emphasize the importance the role they play when it comes to good governance. After a successful day full of committee meetings, caucuses, and floor debate, I can confidently say that the future of our government is in great hands."
The event was also attended by Delaware County State Representatives Jennifer O’Mara and Lisa Borowski.