SAMPLE Kid Governor’s Cabinet

About Me:
My name is Brian Wright and I live in Meriden. I attend Casimir Pulaski Elementary School. I live with my mom Nikki, my dad Brian, my brother Nazai, my sister Teeyanni, and my dog Rocky. I like to play football with the Meriden Raiders. I’ve even won a state championship! I also like to play basketball with my older brother. As a leader, I am loyal, funny, and passionate.

My Community Issue:
I chose to increase physical activity in schools because I want kids to have a longer recess, more physical education classes, and more frequent movement breaks in class. I have noticed that when kids are more active, they drink more water, feel better, and focus more in class. COVID-19 has made it hard for kids to stay active and healthy. A school fitness night could help show kids ways to stay active, even indoors!

Did You Know?:
The CDC recommends that children ages 6 to 17 years do 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily, but less than a quarter (24%) actually get that amount of exercise. If kids get the daily recommended amount of exercise it will improve their sleep quality, which improves their concentration and academics. It will also improve kids’ classroom behavior and students will have all around better attitudes. Only 3.7% of K-12 schools in the country require daily physical education even though it has so many positive benefits.

About My Platform:
My platform has three ways that 5th graders can help increase the amount of physical activity in schools:

1. Ask local Boards of Education to increase the length of recess and require physical education at least twice a week.
2. Ask teachers to put more movement breaks into the day.
3. Plan a school fitness night to teach kids about the importance of daily physical activity.

About Me:
My name is Elizabeth Becker and I live in Hartford with my family. I like to read, write, draw, and bake. As a leader I am determined, confident, kind, honest, and open minded.

My Community Issue:
I chose climate change as my community issue because I feel that climate change is a big and important problem that needs to be fixed. I have seen lots of extreme weather, so I know how climate change is a significant issue and I see how climate change is affecting our planet. I want to make our planet a better place for all living creatures to live.

Did You Know:
According to NASA, nineteen of the past twenty years have been the hottest years ever recorded. This shows that the Earth is warming very fast. As highlighted in a recent United Nations report on climate change, every year there is more extreme weather and hotter summers. Having a hotter and wetter climate will not benefit anyone. More mosquitoes will breed and they carry disease. If we have more droughts our agriculture will be affected because all of our food comes from plants.

About My Platform:
To fight climate change I will:

1. Create a blog and YouTube channel for 5th graders to read and learn about the impacts of climate change.
2. Organize events for 5th graders to participate in such as cleanups, tree plantings and rain garden construction classes.
3. Have a poster contest and letter campaign to write our elected officials to take action on climate change.

About Me:
My name is Madelyn Sweet and I live in East Hartford with my Mom, Colleen, my Dad, Tony, and my little sister, Abigail. I like to play piano, sing, create art, and read Harry Potter books. also love riding my bike and playing with my little sister and the other kids in our neighborhood. As a leader, I am motivated, hard-working, respectful of others, and stand up for what I believe in.

My Community Issue:
I chose the issue of Kids and Anxiety because I suffer from anxiety and I know that many of my friends do too! Anxiety matters to lots of kids and I think it’s important to show adults that childhood anxiety is a real problem and not just something to push aside. It is important because our feelings matter!

Did You Know?:
Anxiety is really intense worrying and it usually starts during childhood. According to the CDC, there are a number of forms of anxiety including Separation Anxiety, Phobia, and Social Anxiety. Regardless of the form of anxiety, we can all get it and it’s not a fun feeling. Some kids get anxious about things like a family member getting sick or a pet getting hurt. Other kids really worry about school fires, lockdown drills, being left at home alone, their friendships ending, or people getting mad at them. One of the biggest worries for kids today is Covid 19.

About My Platform:
My platform has three ways that 5th graders and I can make a difference on this issue:

1. I will create a monthly YouTube video to help students learn about anxiety and ways to combat it, including people sharing their coping strategies
2. Make a “Calm Down Box” in each classroom filled with stress balls, pop-its and feeling journals to help kids let go of their anxious thoughts and fears.
3. Create Positivity Rock Gardens made of rocks with positive messages painted by students across the state.

About Me:
My name is Olivia Campbell. I live in New London with my mom, dad, and dogs. My dogs’ names are Charlotte, Maggie, and Bernie. My brother lives in Wisconsin with his fiancé. I like to play basketball and watch football. My favorite movies are Marvel movies, Harry Potter, and The Fault in Our Stars. I love to make up songs and hang out with my cousins. As a leader, I am goal-oriented, honest, and kind.

My Community Issue:
The reason I chose food insecurity as my platform is that no one should go to school hungry. If you are worried about your next meal, then you are not focused on your schoolwork. Food insecurity is a big issue, especially in our state. Someone you know is probably food insecure. I eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at home, and some people do not even get that.

Did You Know?:
Did you know kids go days, even weeks without food? That is because 1 out of 5 kids is food insecure. Believe it or not, someone you know is probably food insecure. This is a big problem among kids in my community and our state. No one should have to go through that, especially kids. You may ask what is food insecurity? Food insecurity is the disruption of food intake or eating patterns. According to Health.gov, “Low food security: things like reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet. Little or no sign of reduced food intake.”

About My Platform:
My platform has three ways I and other fifth graders can help can help:

1. Raise money for food banks and encourage people to donate to food banks and shelters.
2. Raise awareness about food insecurity.
3. Start a social media campaign and call it #fillthefridge.

About Me:
My name is Samantha Botero and I am a 5th grader at Greenwich Catholic School. I live in Stamford with my mom and dad. I am on the cross country team, and I love running out in nature around our beautiful state of Connecticut. I am honest, helpful, caring and thoughtful and a really good team leader.

My Community Issue:
I chose my three-part plan for a cleaner Connecticut because I want to clean Long Island Sound and the land all around it by recycling in our state. I have seen a lot of litter when I am on my runs, and I want to help make our communities cleaner. In my science class I have learned about pollution, and I believe that working together we can make a difference.

Did You Know?:
Did you know that 91% of plastic isn’t recycled according to National Geographic? Inconsistent labels on bins cause confusion about recycling and, as a result, millions of tons of garbage is being thrown away in recycling bins. Recycling bins benefit our schools, our communities and our environment. We should all make an effort to make sure that we are recycling everything that we can!

About My Platform:
My platform has three ways that I and other 5th graders will make Connecticut cleaner:

1. I will host an engineering design contest where students across Connecticut can submit their designs for environmentally-friendly products.
2. Clean Long Island Sound and all of the land around it by promoting recycling.
3. Ensure that all schools have recycling bins and students know how to recycle.

About Me:
My name is Satvik Nog and I live in Southbury with my dad Rajat, my mom Deepali and my older sister Somya. I attend Long Meadow Elementary School. I like to play basketball, tennis, and swim. I also enjoy playing my violin, solving math problems, and spending time with my friends and family. As a leader, I am determined, trustworthy, and a good listener. I have the confidence to make a difference.

My Community Issue:
The reason I chose climate change for my platform is because it’s occurring everywhere, mainly because of human activities. Our planet is getting hotter each day at a rapid rate due to the high emissions of greenhouse gases which cause climate change. Climate change is also causing raging forest fires, drought, and severe weather like hurricanes and tornadoes. If the earth keeps getting hotter, we might not be able to live on it anymore.

Did You Know:
The latest United Nations Report (2021)states that “the emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities are responsible for approximately 1.1°C of warming since 1850-1900,” and that “global temperature is expected to reach or exceed 1.5°C of warming” over the next two decades. The Environmental Protection Agency also noted that “global carbon emissions from fossil fuels have significantly increased by 90% since 1970,” causing ice caps to melt, heating up oceans, and reducing water supplies, among other things, all of which are very harmful to humans and animals alike.

About My Platform:
My platform has three ways that 5th graders can help prevent climate change in our state:

1. Develop a checklist for eco-friendly habits to be available across the state.
2. Organize a run for kids in CT to increase awareness about the impact of climate on food and raise funds for the cause.
3. Start eco-friendly clubs at schools to inform and educate kids about climate change and why it’s important.