‘True power comes from the people’ | Second cohort graduates from Washington Secretary of State’s Civics Academy

(GIG HARBOR) — The second cohort of the Washington Secretary of State’s Institutional Civics Academy graduated on Tuesday, May 19. Fifteen students completed an eight-week course at the Washington Corrections Center for Women, where they gained tools to remain active participants in their communities, both in and out of incarceration, according to a news release from the Office of the Secretary of State.

A photo of the class, their instructor and guest speakers is available on the Office of the Secretary of State Flickr account.

Students learned about the foundations of government, founding government documents, how bills become law, identifying misinformation and trusted sources, and what community re-entry and their future civic lives could look like. David Lund with the Office of the Secretary of State’s Civic Engagement Program taught the class.

Students shared that they felt empowered by what they learned.

"Civic engagement links unity and local power,” said Civics Academy student Al-Nisa Ronnay Scott. “This program has shown that true power comes from the people's will to help, teach, inspire, and heal each other through a larger strategy full of determination and faith. ‘As iron sharpens iron, so does one person sharpen another.’”

A number of guest speakers were able to visit the class to talk with students, including Senator Yasmin Trudeau (D-Tacoma), Pierce County Superior Court Judge Andre Penalver, League of Women Voters Criminal Justice Issue Chair Karen Peacey, the Executive Director of the Washington LGBTQ Commission and the Office of the Secretary of State’s legislative policy team.

Some students are already making plans for how they will stay civically engaged upon their release. Several were also inspired to use their voices to advocate for themselves and their communities while at the corrections center.

"You don't only lose your freedom during incarceration; you also lose your voice and dignity. Being afforded the opportunity to be a part of the Civics Academy was a chance for my voice to be heard, be treated with humility, feel dignified and learn that civic engagement is something that incarceration does not prevent you from partaking in,” said Civics Academy student Kallee Knudson.

Residents have access to “zoom rooms” funded by the state that allow them to take part in the legislative process from within the facility.

“Some of them have testified in committee, some of them have helped draft bills,” said instructor David Lund. “I think that’s becoming more common.”

The next iteration of the Civics Academy is slated for this summer at the Harbor Heights Youth Facility.