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There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
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Alex Azar
alex.azar@gatech.edu
Summary Sentence: A conversation with four leaders at the frontlines of the community empowerment movement
Full Summary: Join us for a timely conversation on voting and community engagement featuring Kevin Shanker Sinha, founder or CivicGeorgia, Sophia Woodrow of the Future Coalition, Ciarra Malone from the Campus Vote Project, and Gwendolyn Mason from the Stewart Foundation.
Impact Voting PanelJoin the Institute for Leadership and Social Impact, Serve-Learn-Sustain, and Hands On Atlanta for a timely conversation on voting and community engagement featuring Kevin Shanker Sinha, founder of CivicGeorgia, Sophia Woodrow of the Future Coalition, Ciarra Malone from the Campus Vote Project, and Gwendolyn Mason from the Stewart Foundation. The panel will discuss the importance of the upcoming municipal elections and the related opportunity, necessity, and approaches for youth empowerment and engagement. The conversation will include a Q&A with the audience.
Kevin Shanker Sinha is a community organizer fighting for equity & justice through & in civic engagement. He is the founder of CivicGeorgia, a BIPOC-led grassroots advocacy organization that is uniquely powered by a collaborative of organizers. Since 2017, CivicGeorgia has been actively creating space for community-led civic action, civic celebration, and voice for everyone in our state, with intentional inclusivity for our most silenced and "othered" Georgians. In pursuit of this mission, CivicGeorgia has collaborated with dozens of partners in registering tens of thousands of voters and empowering even more Georgians to be informed, active participants in our democracy.
Sophia Woodrow is a rising second-year at Stanford University and currently serves as a Community Manager at Future Coalition, helping to coordinate electoral coalition building plans across the country for the 2022 midterm elections. Previously at Future Coalition, she developed voter education programs and on the ground youth voter mobilization strategies in the state of Georgia for the 2020 General Election and runoff races. She started her organizing work in high school in 2018, advocating for equity in education as the President of the Harvard Debate Council Diversity Project.
Ciarra Malone is a graduate of Kennesaw State University (KSU), with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a double minor in International Affairs and African/ African Diaspora Studies. While at KSU Ciarra served as the Political Awareness and Involvement Chair for the Sigma Epsilon chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Under her leadership, the chapter was responsible for registering hundreds of fellow KSU students. Currently, Ciarra serves as the Georgia, State Coordinator for the Fair Elections Center's Campus Vote Project. Here she works directly with students, administrators, and partner organizations to normalize and institutionalize student voting by working directly with colleges and universities across the state of Georgia. Ciarra has a passion for justice and using her background in minorities and politics to foster a more equitable community.
Gwen Mason is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Stewart Foundation, a youth leadership development program targeting children between the ages of 8 to18. The foundation has impacted more than 20,000 youth over the course of its existence and has made significant changes to our youths’ health & financial wellness, education, social and community involvement. Gwen is active with the DeKalb County Solicitors office for record expungement, the National Juvenile Defenders Center, and Kindred Minds Unite. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority, Inc. where she committed herself to serve others. An Atlanta native, Gwen exemplifies strong leadership skills and has achieved a multitude of awards such as NCBW 100 Unsung Heroines Catalyst, Atlanta’s Most Distinguished Women, Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Best All-Around just to name a few. She has obtained proclamations from the U.S. House of Representatives Congressmen John Lewis and Hank Johnson.
Impact is a weekly series of meaningful conversations, free and open to all. The main goal of the series is to engage students, faculty, staff, and the wider community on topics that matter through conversations and presentations by leaders and entrepreneurs from all sectors. For the 2021-2022 school year, our focus remains on social and racial justice, inclusive leadership, and diversity and equity. Past talks are accessible on the Institute for Leadership and Social Impact's YouTube page.
Register for the event here
