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College students have the drive and desire to change the world but often need to be provided with clear paths to make an impact. Skidmore College’s annual Make Your Voice Heard Public Policy Prize Competition bridges this gap. Designed to turn passion into tangible action, the competition teaches students that civic engagement is more than casting a ballot - it's about using their voice to shape policy and improve communities. By researching pressing issues, writing to officials, and proposing real solutions, students gain the confidence and skills to advocate for change. Inspired by Project Pericles’ Debating for Democracy (D4D) Letter to an Elected Official Competition and the Truman Fellowship, Skidmore’s “Make Your Voice Heard” competition offers a roadmap for other institutions seeking to cultivate exciting paths to civic engagement into their campus. The competition challenges students to write a letter to an elected or government official, proposing a policy to address a community issue. They must also justify their choice of their letter recipient–that is, clarifying why and how the targeted office holder can address their issue–and outline how they would use $500 to promote their cause. Submissions are evaluated by a panel of three judges - including two public policy experts and a faculty member from Skidmore’s political science department - who assess the feasibility, thoughtfulness, and potential impact of each proposal. Since its launch in 2018, the competition has grown in scope and influence. While it builds on the civic engagement strategies of D4D, it expands those ideas by including seniors at Skidmore and encouraging students to address local concerns in both their hometowns and Skidmore’s community of Saratoga Springs, New York. With over 120 submissions since its inception, the competition attracts 10 to 30 participants each year, many from diverse academic backgrounds. Whether integrated into coursework or pursued individually, the competition emphasizes that civic engagement is relevant to all students, regardless of major or experience.
Previous winners include a 2023 letter to Barbara Rice of the New York State (NYS) Adirondack Park Agency with a call to reject a proposal that threatened to worsen the area’s affordable housing crisis. Last year’s winner was a letter to NYS Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie encouraging him to support the Right to React Act. Other topics addressed in submissions have included fishing regulations in Washington state and public transportation accessibility for senior homes in Saratoga Springs. By creating well-researched rationales and identifying the right letter recipients for their proposals, students learn the power of working at a local, grassroots level to address community concerns. The impact of the competition extends beyond just the outcomes of individual submissions. Many past participants cite the competition as a pivotal experience in strengthening their ability to analyze public policy, communicate with decision-makers, and realize their power in shaping their communities. As part of the competition, students are required to send their letters to the officials they’ve written to, ensuring their work has the potential to create real-world impact. In reflecting on the importance and timeliness of a competition like this, Eric Morser, Skidmore’s Project Pericles Program Director, shared, “At this moment where students are feeling fairly disempowered politically, and that ‘federal politicians aren't listening to me’, it's a way for us to say you can have your voice heard differently. And the local matters! You can actually have a Commissioner of Finance read your letter in Saratoga Springs. So I think it is a way for them to feel as if they have some agency in shaping the world around them in a positive way.” Skidmore’s competition is part of a broader movement to emphasize the role of higher education in preparing students for active civic leadership. Colleges and universities are not just spaces for academic exploration; they are fertile training grounds for engaged citizens who will shape the future. By embedding civic engagement into campus life, institutions can foster a new generation of changemakers and demonstrate their commitment to the public good. Since joining Project Pericles in 2015, Skidmore College has been deeply involved in the Periclean consortium. For example, the college has proudly cultivated seven Periclean Faculty Leaders, who have been integral in incorporating community-engaged learning across a wide range of disciplines, from Dance and Social Work to Environmental Studies and Music. Their courses and projects are sustained over several semesters and make a lasting impact in student lives, faculty careers, and the greater Saratoga Springs community. “Project Pericles provides the intellectual and programmatic framework for these terrific projects, and we have been so proud to see our faculty embrace the opportunities that Project Pericles makes possible,” said Skidmore President Marc Conner. “Such efforts at embodying civic democratic action is at the heart of a liberal arts education.” In recognition of this vital work, President Marc Conner is planning to host a special reception to honor the Periclean Faculty Leaders in May to inspire and encourage other Skidmore faculty to adopt similar approaches in their own teaching, further embedding civic and community-engaged learning as an institutional norm. Conner serves on the Project Pericles Board of Directors and chairs the Nomination Committee, contributing valuable insight to the organization’s national strategic direction. Later this year, Skidmore College will also be hosting the Project Pericles Annual Program Directors Conference from October 27-29 and the network looks forward to being immersed in the Skidmore College community while learning more about their campus structures for graduating life-long engaged citizens. Comments are closed.
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Project Pericles
1216 Broadway, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10001
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