Grette Buttner wanted a firsthand look at how her town government worked. She searched for school clubs and programs that would let her connect directly with elected officials and ask about local issues. When she couldn’t find one, The Winsor School junior started LexYouthCivics, a first-of-its-kind initiative that introduces Lexington high school students to the inner workings of local government.
“Establishing a base-level knowledge about how our town government works is our primary and fundamental goal,” Buttner said. “Some people don’t have that knowledge which, to me, is quite alarming.”
Lexington High School students Rajvir Kalra, Anya Sawant and Kevin Chen joined Buttner as project organizers.
Buttner came to their school looking for a team of students to collaborate with her on LexYouthCivics. “At the time she just had a name and a vague idea,” Kalra said. “She was looking for students who were interested in civics and town government … to create this event for students to participate in.”
Kalra said that he was interested in public service but struggled to find a way to get involved in local government. Though his school offered clubs like Model UN and Mock Debate, he wanted a tangible way to gain experience and talk directly to officials in an open setting before going off to college.
“That’s why I’m super passionate about joining LexYouthCivics and making it a reality,” he said. “I feel very deeply connected to this event.”
Together, the students developed a conference-style program. The four-hour event, which takes place at Cary Hall on Feb. 28, event brings together local government officials, community leaders and high school students for an interactive day of learning about town government and civic engagement. Kalra said they expect Saturday’s event to draw 250 students.
The group spent months going door-to-door to local businesses, seeking sponsorships and hanging posters. In the end, the Lexington Youth Commission, Lexington League of Women Voters and Center Goods agreed to help finance the event. Lexington High School also agreed to allow the event to count toward students’ required community service hours.
“We really want to emphasize to students that it is important, especially within this political climate, to understand how you can be involved in making change within your own society,” Kalra said.
Buttner said she hopes the event will remind students about the ways civic participation can shape their lives and communities. “I want to remind students, ‘You should have political power,’” she said. “You should have the opportunity to sway policy and contribute to your town.”
The event will run from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and feature a series of workshops, including a mock town meeting. Four speakers are scheduled: Select Board Member Jill Hai, Town Moderator Deborah Brown, Dominic Bronico, Pastor of Connections and Young Adults at Grace Chapel, and state Rep. Michelle Ciccolo.
Kalra said he is especially excited to hear from Ciccolo. “She obviously has so much experience in town and now the state government,” he said. “She’s someone that students don’t really have access to on a normal day.”
Ciccolo represents the 15th Middlesex District of Massachusetts, which includes parts of Woburn and Winchester, along with Lexington. In the legislature, she focuses on issues such as environmental sustainability, public health and education equity.
“It’s a really exciting initiative,” Ciccolo said. “I spent the first 25 years of my career in local government, and I very much appreciate the tangible and immediate impact that serving at the local level has. You can see the results of your work, and it’s much easier to understand how democracy works and how you can individually have a real, profound impact.”
Ciccolo said more money should be invested in civics education. Massachusetts has taken steps to strengthen it, including a 2018 law requiring student-led civics projects and promoting high school voter registration. Still, just 39% of eighth-graders met grade-level standards on the state’s first civics Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System in 2025.
“When we don’t teach civics, I think it raises residents and citizens to have less faith in their government and they don’t feel the moral obligation and responsibility to give back,” Ciccolo said. “That’s not good for democracy.”
Only 27% of registered voters participated in last year’s town election, up from 9% in 2023. That year, 80% of voters were older than 50.
Buttner said she hopes the event will encourage eligible students to vote in future elections and become more involved in Lexington. “We want students to be aware of what’s happening in the town,” she said. “Whether that means just going to the library or joining the Lexington Youth Commission.”
Looking ahead, Buttner and Kalra hope to expand LexYouthCivics. Buttner envisions a program that meets regularly to discuss local issues that affect students directly.
“I see LexYouthCivics … integrated into the Lexington consciousness and into the Lexington civic landscape,” she said. “I really hope it remains even when I eventually depart and go to college.”
Students may register for the event at: https://www.lexyouthcivics.org.
This story was written by a journalism student in BU’s Newsroom program, a partnership between the university, The Lexington Observer and other news organizations in the Boston area.
Indeed, “Only 27% of registered voters participated in last year’s town election, up from 9% in 2023.” in the birthplace of American democracy.
And this coming Monday, March 2, I predict voter turnout will be 10%-15% only, because only one townwide election is competitive, that for Planning Board, with everyone else “running” for Select Board and School Committee being already “elected”.
Ask our local politicians, if they really want a higher voter turnout — which I personally doubt is the case, since “running” without any opponent is so much more comfortable –, to hold our annual Town election to when people expect elections to happen, on the second Tuesday in November rather than on a quasi-hidden, usually snowy, day in early March.