Leo High School invites “tomorrow’s informed voters” to National Teen Voters Registration Day on September 10, 2024, where students can register on-site at one of three session dates.

“We are inviting all schools and hope to register more than 1,000 youth,” said Leo Principal Dr. Shaka Rawls. “This special call to action is a historic moment and the informed young voters of tomorrow will make history with their vote.”

National Teens Voter Registration Day is a movement to inspire and mobilize teens to actively participate in the democratic process. Beyond voting, the mission is to empower young people to make a difference in their communities.

This campaign gives youth the tools to register, encourages informed decision-making, and instills a strong sense of civic duty. By organizing voter registration drives in high schools and engaging in political discussions, youth can play an important role in their communities through active participation in electoral processes.

According to Rawls, Leo not only had his own student body in mind, but also the responsibility for this “important event designed to facilitate the registration of eligible young voters.”

• For students aged 18 and over and, what’s more, they can register to vote immediately.

• For students aged 16 and 17they can pre-register to vote. Illinois law allows teens to pre-register, and we want to make this process familiar to as many young people as possible. In particular, students who are 17 years old but will turn 18 on or before November 5 are eligible to register and vote.

“For example, we have students in our own building who will be turning 18 in October, and they were amazed to learn that they could register to vote and then hold their first presidential election on November 5,” Rawls said. “By inviting all the schools in our area, we are making a bigger, more impactful statement on the South Side.”

The idea came about during the summer months as Leo was preparing to invite the community’s school children to receive 1,000 backpacks filled with school supplies. However, Leo’s administration decided to “think outside the box” and get as many young teenagers as possible to register.

Light refreshments will be served at the event, and a brief press conference will be held at 9:30 a.m. to recognize the historic significance of the moment. Leo sees this as “an excellent opportunity for students to become active participants in our democratic process and experience the collective impact of their engagement.”

“This day is not just about voting, but about honoring those who fought for the right to vote,” Rawls said.

Also invited are local community leaders, celebrities and outstanding alumni who have actively served and supported the community at their respective schools.

For more information on registering for Leo Catholic High School’s National Teen Voters Registration Day, contact Yolanda Sandifer-Horton at [email protected] or 773.224.9600. Registration takes place at the school, located at 7901 South Sangamon Chicago, IL.

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Leo Catholic High School is a Catholic parochial high school for boys in the Auburn-Gresham neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. It is in the Archdiocese of Chicago and has a predominantly African-American student population. The school will have 100 students in 2026 and is named after Pope Leo XIII.

Leo’s largest freshman class in 20 years brings enrollment to 255, a 40 percent increase since Principal Dr. Shaka Rawls arrived at Leo School in the 2016-17 school year.