Students Lead Voter Registration Drive at Shackamaxon Powwow

Friends Select upper school students facilitated a voter registration drive last September at the Shackamaxon Powwow at Penn Treaty Park.

Hosted annually by the Native American House Alliance (NAHA)—a nonprofit organization that supports family, housing, and employment services to the local Native American community—the Shackamaxon Powwow honors Lenape culture and heritage. The celebration highlighted the founding of Philadelphia, the Treaty at Shackamaxon, and the Amity Treaty of 1682, a pledge of mutual aid and friendship that the Lenape view as in effect and unbroken. 

Upper school student volunteers and members of student government managed a voter registration booth, actively engaged with attendees, and emphasized the crucial role each person's vote plays in shaping the community. “In my English class, we were reading a book by Tommy Orange called There There, about Native American identity. When I got out to the Powwow, I saw a loving community that I was already learning about in school,” said Sophia Le ’25. “It is great to see Friends Select branch out and support the Native American community in Philly by extending opportunities beyond just our students and constituents. We talked to a lot of amazing people who stopped by the booth.” 

Bringing the voter registration drive to the Shackamaxon Powwow resonates deeply with Friends Select’s mission, which emphasizes the importance of social responsibility and active citizenship. “Encouraging students to participate in events like this not only broadens their cultural awareness but also instills a sense of responsibility toward creating positive change in the world,” said Friends Select’s associate director of educational technology Steve Greenbaum P’23, ’27, ’29, who is a NAHA volunteer and serves as faculty advisor for voter registration drives. “NAHA’s mission aligns closely with Friends Select’s ethos of promoting inclusivity, justice, and respect for all.” 

Friends Select student government and upper school student volunteers have been organizing voter registration drives annually since 2018, from setting up on the Parkway Building plaza to ensuring all eligible upper school students are registered to vote. Following a petition from students in 2020, head of school Michael Gary closed the school on Election Day to enable registered faculty, staff, and students to vote. That same year, Friends Select was acknowledged with the Governor’s Civic Engagement Award for its student-led initiative in registering 100% of its eligible voters for the 2020 general election. Since then, the school has been recognized with the award three additional times for registering 90% or more of its eligible voters. 

Student volunteers who spearhead registration efforts now have their sights set on ensuring all of their eligible peers are registered voters ahead of the primary and general elections in 2024. Steve hopes Philadelphia youth will take note and follow the model Friends Select students created. “Can you imagine if all eligible students in the Philadelphia School District voted for mayor, district attorney, and city council? It would look different,” he said. “If students truly felt their vote mattered, that they had a voice, agency, and advocacy, they could really change the climate of education in the city, as well as the state.”