Democracy by Design
How CAW Youth Apprentices Are Empowering New York’s Next Generation of Voters
For first-time voters, the process of going to the polls or mailing in a ballot can feel overwhelming. The League of Women Voters of the City of New York (LWVNYC) is a non-partisan organization whose purpose is to promote informed and active citizen participation in government. This summer, 18 Creative Art Works Youth Apprentices (YAs) helped the LWVNYC advance this vision by designing accessible, engaging voter education materials aimed at Gen Z and even millennials.
Youth apprentices interviewing League of Women voters of New York Staff
The Interview
During an initial client interview, representatives from the LWVNYC, including Talia Miele, Rainatou Marega, Paige Klings, and Sophia Alexandrou, invited our YAs to create accessible yet informative print materials to distribute at tabling events. They specifically wanted handouts explaining both the basics of voting and an important change to the rules for mail-in ballots.
Over the next week, our YAs developed designs based on the client interview; they created three deliverables: a tri-fold zine, a palm card, and a bookmark. The design was inspired by popular media and comics like “Peanuts” and “Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse”—a mix of nostalgic and new styles that are easily recognizable to younger audiences.
The team pitches the design direction to representatives from the League of Women Voters of the City of New York
The Pitch
With the designs ready for review, YAs presented their work in a pitch session, during which LWVNYC stakeholders had the opportunity to provide feedback. (You can read more about the pitch process in the blog “Ideas Become Reality.”)
YAs brought a bold approach to their pitch: turn civic duty into a graphic journey with a vintage feel. They presented a suite of materials including a cartoon-inspired bookmark, a tri-fold brochure, and palm card, featuring soft, retro color palettes, accessible typography, step-by-step panels, and a diverse lineup of illustrated characters—including poll workers and young voters navigating their first election.
How did it go? The client approved the final concept with minor revisions! The LWVNYC requested greater accessibility, such as increased contrast between text and background colors for voters with visual impairments and dyslexia.
“We are blown out of the water. A lot of our handouts have paragraphs of information that feels like homework. This feels like a game, which is really great.”
The unveiling
After six weeks of dedicated work, the youth apprentices completed their designs. They presented their materials to guests and LWVNYC staff, concluding with a short documentary, “Your Vote, Your Choice,” which chronicled their creative process and the impact of youth-led design.
By turning confusing civic information into empowering visual guides, our Youth Apprentices proved that thoughtful design can bridge the gap between young citizens and active democratic participation.
From left: Paige Klings, Sophia Alexandrou, and Raina Marega from the League of Women Voters of the City of New York get their first look at the new marketing materials
I was able to rediscover my creativity and confidence by contributing ideas and illustrations to this project.
CAW Youth Apprentice Caress Figueroa
I feel like this experience helped me grow not only as an individual and socially, but as a professional. It has also given me the skills to do the things that I love.
CAW Youth Apprentice Kelsy Del Valle
The Final Products:
A Tri-Fold Brochure: Demonstrating a voting action plan featuring an essential voter checklist alongside QR-coded maps for quick navigation.
A Palm Card: Using an original character named Mabel to break down postmarking policies for mail-in ballots.
A Comic-Style Bookmark: Following characters Miles and Carmen as they walk through relatable, real-world poll site scenarios.
Read more about the young artists who created this multimedia project
Read the commemorative brochure HERE.
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the voting material in this short documentary
Watch the documentary HERE.
CAW Teaching Staff
Hazza Block
Teaching Artist
Izzy Kayle
Teaching Artist
Sofi Pujol
Teaching Artist
Documentary Teaching Artist
Amrita Singh
Teaching Artist
CAW Staff
Riki Sabel
Program Manager of Teaching & Learning
Emilio Vides-Curnen
Operations Coordinator
Madeline De León
Program Coordinator
Paola Gonzalez
Development & Communications Coordinator
EJ Meehan
Finance & Administration Coordinator
Karen Jolicoeur
Executive Director
Ian Newton
Director of Finance & Administration
Clair Vogel
Development Manager
Scott Lucas
Manager of Marketing & Communications
Donna Manganello
Program Manager
Kevin Claiborne
Program Manager
Our partners for this program include:
Our Thanks
Creative Art Works’ Public Art Youth Employment program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. The program also receives support from the AEO Better World Foundation, the Find Your Light Foundation, the LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation, the Milton & Sally Avery Arts Foundation, the Pinkerton Foundation, and the William Talbot Hillman Foundation. Creative Art Works’ programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. The Sherman Creek photo essay program was made possible by a generous grant from Charities Aid Foundation Canada.
Additional funding was provided by: The NYC Department of Youth and Community Development and by numerous corporate and individual sponsors and donors.
