Students Transforming Civic Education
Student Voices, Civic Choices
A podcast series that brings together students, educators, policymakers, and changemakers to better understand the world of civic education. Taking a step back from high-level headlines, we amplify authentic perspectives that deserve more attention and hope to contribute to the momentum around leadership in civic engagement. This podcast is hosted by Kyle Park at YCIC.
#10 - Youth As Decision-Makers: A Conversation with Rep. Lee Jun-ho
Representative Lee Jun-ho is a prominent member of the Busan Metropolitan City Council and, at 35, one of the youngest leaders in South Korean local government. After serving as the Vice-Chairman of the Welfare and Environment Committee during the 9th Busan City Council, Rep. Lee currently serves as Vice-Chairman of both the Ethics Special Committee and the Busan-Gyeongnam Administrative Integration Special Committee.
In this conversation, Rep. Lee shares his experiences as one of the youngest leaders in South Korean politics, discusses the importance of engaging in local government, and reflects on his key takeaways from interacting with youth voters in Busan.
This episode was conducted in Korean––please click here for an English transcript!
#9 - Empowering Next Generations: A Conversation with LWVSF Youth Council
How is the League of Women Voters of San Francisco (LWVSF) expanding civic education efforts through the Youth Council? What advocacy strategies or frameworks should more student leaders know about and apply to their own initiatives? How do we encourage students to embrace the uncertainty that often comes with a career in the public service space?
As a Department of Elections Ambassador, Emily Gorodetskiy (senior at Lowell High School) empowers her peers to participate in the democratic process and has advocated before the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to amplify youth voices in local government. Beyond civics, she founded her school's entrepreneurship club, inspiring students to combine innovation with community impact.
Leah Mordehai (junior at San Francisco University High School) serves as Co-Chair of the LWVSF Youth Council and District One Youth Commissioner, shaping San Francisco policy on housing, education, and public safety. She also works under Assemblywoman Catherine Stefani and State Treasurer Fiona Ma on legislative research, community outreach, and youth engagement.
Olivia Schmitt (senior at Galileo High School) serves as Secretary on the Make-A-Wish Youth Council, organizing efforts to support children with critical illnesses. As a member of the SFUSD Youth Council, she uplifts student voices to make schools more inclusive and responsive to their needs. Through her role as Lead Advocate for the NCCR IHL Youth Advisory Council, Olivia increases awareness around humanitarian issues and youth advocacy.
Learn more about the LWVSF Youth Council @ lwvsf.org/youth-council and reach out to youthvoting@lwvsf.org to get involved or follow up with Emily, Leah, and Olivia.
#8 - Leading South Korea's Youth: A Conversation with Rep. Lee Jun-Seok
What are the key drivers of youth participation and voter turnout in South Korean elections? What motivates young citizens to engage politically beyond just voting? To what extent will digital spaces such as social media and a growing focus on technology shape our civic identities? What should students be learning in school regarding democracy and citizenship that they aren't learning today?
Representative Lee Jun-Seok is a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea and currently serves as the leader of the Reform Party. Previously, Rep. Lee led the People Power Party at just 36, becoming the youngest politician in South Korean history to lead a major conservative party. In the 2025 South Korean presidential election, Rep. Lee was the youngest presidential candidate having just turned 40 –– the minimum age required to run for president. Before stepping into politics, Rep. Lee was committed to building education-technology startups that developed personalized tutoring softwares and workplace training applications. He attended Harvard University on a presidential scholarship where he studied computer science and economics.
Rep. Lee shares how his civic journey has shaped his perspective on giving young people not just a voice but power in decision-making, reflections on navigating South Korea's political stage, and advice for the next generation.
#7 - The Power of Connections: A Conversation with Josh Nesbit
What exactly is "relational tech"? In what ways does practicing relational tech facilitate local civic engagement? How can we move beyond Silicon Valley's scale-at-all-costs model of innovation to imagine tech rooted in care and community? What forms of relational tech often go unnoticed?
Josh Nesbit is the Co-Founder of the Relational Tech Project, a nonprofit initiative that explores the intersection of technology, community care, and relational organizing. Josh also co-founded Medic, a nonprofit focused on building software to support community health workers across Africa and Asia. He was selected by Devex as one of 40 Under 40 Leaders in International Development and also named by Forbes as one of the world's top 30 social entrepreneurs. Josh shares his path into a career in public service and how emerging technologies can strengthen our social fabric.
Learn more about the Relational Tech Project @ relationaltechproject.substack.com
#6 - Leadership in the Classroom: A Conversation with Mollie Price
How do educators effectively incorporate learning by doing in the classroom? Should we have a standardized national civics curriculum to ensure that all students develop shared civic knowledge and values, or should individual schools maintain the freedom to design their own civics programs? How can we address the growing political disengagement and "nihilism" among youth who seem to have lost faith in democratic processes and in their own voice?
Mollie Price is a high school teacher in the Renton School District where she co-created the City of Renton's Youth Court and is actively involved in the Instructional Council and Building Leadership Team. Previously, Mollie was the Head of the grantmaking team at the Bezos Family Foundation and was a Senior Strategist at the Washington Bus, a statewide movement to increase political access and participation for youth across Washington. Mollie discusses navigating career decisions in public service, support systems in the teaching space, and how her understanding of civic leadership has changed over time.
#5 - Building Relationships and Community: A Conversation with Kellen Klein
How can the power of relationships transform civic engagement? Why is relationship building so important? What are nuanced ways of measuring effectiveness in relational work? What creative techniques can we leverage to help people embrace civil dialogue?
Kellen Klein is the Executive Director at Citizens4Community (C4C), a nonpartisan nonprofit that focuses on building a connected community in and around Sisters, Oregon by encouraging civility, collaboration and civic engagement. He has spent nearly a decade working in the sustainability and social impact fields, previously at the non-profit consultancy Fortune 500 and the Center for Humane Technology. Kellen shares his civic journey leading up to C4C, productive strategies for facilitating civil dialogue, and what civics means to him.
Learn more about C4C @ citizens4community.com & citizens4communitysisters (Instagram)
#4 - Youngest in the Room: A Conversation with Ishaan Savla
How do we bridge the gap between classroom learning and the practical, real-world skills that students actually need? How can students begin their civic journeys through local government? What are effective ways to navigate the challenges and opportunities that come with being the youngest voice in the room?
Ishaan Savla is a high school student at Dougherty Valley High School who is actively involved in local government with Contra Costa County and the San Ramon School District. He is also the founder of Finpowrd, integrating hands-on personal finance education into classroom learning. Ishaan shares his early experiences with civic engagement, insights on connecting education and policy, and key support systems that have guided him along the way.
#3 - Global Perspectives: A Conversation with Matej Čačík
How do we restore trust and respect for credible news sources in an environment of increasing noise and disinformation? With AI and information overload, how do we navigate healthy skepticism vs. exaggerated scrutiny? Where are the key overlaps/differences in civic education actvism between Europe and the US?
Matej Čačík is the founder of Krupica, a Slovakia-based nonprofit supported by NATO to fight disinformation and promote youth civic literacy. He sits down with Kyle to discuss his initial motivations to build something from scratch, unique theory of change, and takeaways from when things did not go his way. Matej is studying Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at Central European University.
Check out Krupica @ krupica.sk (Website) & krupica.oztko (Instagram)
#2 - Flywheel of Change: A Conversation with Mert Karabiyik
What effect can we have by framing STEAM education as a powerful tool for civic engagement? How can curriculum development not only train technical coders and engineers but create ethical innovators with robust civic skillsets? And perhaps more importantly––once the flywheel starts turning, how can young leaders sustain successful models of change?
Mert Karabiyik, a student activist leading the West Coast team at Young Global Impact (YGA), sits down with Kyle to discuss his path to student activism and insights on leveraging STEAM education to promote civic responsibilities. Mert is studying Economics and Computer Science at Stanford, exploring the intersection of technology, investing, and philanthropy.
#1 - Learning and Doing: A Conversation with Abhi Boda
Do conventional standards of success hold true for civic engagement? What are misconceptions about youth activitsts, especially at the college level? How do you balance genuine learning and the actual "doing" in civic activism?
Abhi Boda, a student leader at Stanford University, sits down with Sean and Kyle to discuss his civic journey, leadership experiences, and insights on rallying fellow peers. Abhi is studying Symbolic Systems and is actively involved with the Asian American Students Association, Democracy Day, and the Pre-Law Society on campus.