Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas to Create New Position for Civics Education and Engagement

January 13 2023

Montpelier, VT - As she begins her term, Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas plans to make civics education and engagement a major facet of her work. As part of this effort, she is creating a new position for the agency, Education & Civic Engagement Coordinator.

Secretary Copeland Hanzas acknowledges Jim Condos’s hard work to protect and preserve the integrity, transparency, and accessibility of our elections. She wants to build on that effort and move to a new phase of engagement with Vermonters of all ages.

“We need to recognize that sometimes people don’t vote because they don’t know how to vote, or they don’t know the candidates, or they are skeptical about whether their vote will make a difference,” said Copeland Hanzas. “That’s why the next phase of defending our democracy needs to be in education, awareness, and engagement.”

The new coordinator will work with the secretary and her team to create a civics curriculum for our schoolteachers, will engage with Vermonters on civics in their communities, and will build a voter guide for the 2024 General Election.

“Civics is more than the dry, boring three branches of government. Civics is also about being able to affect change, solve problems and make life better for all of us,” said Copeland Hanzas. “Individuals can only do so much on their own. Working together through civic participation allows us to accomplish more than any one person can do themselves.”

Interested applicants can view the job post on the Vermont careers page of the state’s website or can learn more about the position by contacting lauren.hibbert@vermont.gov, 802-828-2124.