Student Group Seeks to Promote Civic Engagement and Civil Discourse

Dylan LembergPassionate about politics but discouraged by how divided and angry people have become when discussing “hot topics,” Scarsdale High School Junior, Dylan Lemberg recently started a non-government organization, New York Student Engaged Citizenship (NYSEC), focused on teaching students how to participate in responsible civil discourse and how to be informed and engaged citizens. According to the NYSEC website:

“While it may take time, NYSEC aims to pass New York State Legislation requiring all schools to have a mandatory level of civic and media literacy education within the curriculums.Civic Participation among students and beyond is one of the most vital things in keeping, protecting, and improving our freedom, democracy, and our very own lives.”

Partially due to this important and timely work, Lemberg was just selected by the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale to participate in their “Students Inside Albany” program. LWV describes the program by saying:

“Students Inside Albany is an intensive four-day conference run by the New York State League of Women Voters Education Foundation. The program is designed to immerse students in the process by which public policy is proposed, enacted and changed in New York State and educate them as to how they can influence and affect this process. The conference brings approximately 60 students from across the State to Albany to get a first-hand education about their state government. The highlight for most students is the opportunity to shadow their state representatives for an afternoon, with many students getting the opportunity to attend a session on the Chamber floor. LWVS annually sponsors and funds the expenses for two highly qualified Scarsdale students, selected from an outstanding pool of applicants, to attend the conference.”

Seeming like the perfect candidate for the LWV program, we recently interviewed Lemberg to learn more about his organization and how he hopes it can make a positive impact in the Scarsdale community and in other New York school districts.

Q: What inspired you to start NYSEC?

I think it is safe to say that we struggle, as a society, at having difficult conversations. I have seen friends and family members sitting across from each other at the table, arguing for hours on end and hurting their relationships, simply because they don’t know how to communicate. This struggle to communicate can be observed within all political parties and isn’t reserved to one side or another. As a whole, we seem to lack the ability to have meaningful conversations, to look each other in the eye, to stand in each other’s shoes and recognize all that we share as humans. It is imperative that we learn to talk and I believe it starts with our students.

Q: How do you hope NYSEC can make a difference?

NYSEC, or New York Student Engaged Citizenship, has the goal of improving media literacy, responsible civic discourse, and prevailing civic engagement among students. Overall, the organization aims to teach students how to be a responsible democratic citizen for now and years to come. Considering the current, unwelcoming civic environment, we have heard from students, parents, teachers, and administrators alike, who all agree that Civic Education is of the utmost importance at this time and we hope to help students and schools find a path forward.

Q: How has NYSEC started to advocate for more civic education?

We have spoken at major events and panels for civic education in New York (LIUH envisioning the future to name one) where several principals from Westchester County schools and the New York State Commissioner of Education were in attendance. I have also had the privilege of speaking with Representative George Latimer who has expressed interest in collaborating with our organization. Though we are currently only working with Scarsdale and Pleasantville, we are planning on talking with other schools across Westchester as well. In the past, we have also designed workshops in which students of all ages come together to discuss topics, from politics to toys. The results are better than we have ever imagined and we have managed to create an environment where both teachers and students across grade levels are having responsible conversations about something they may disagree with.

Our end goal is to work with the New York State Legislature in Albany and have a bill introduced allotting funding, experience, and opportunity for schools to teach these much-needed civic lessons. They are more vital than ever.

Q: Has NYSEC already started to make an impact in communities?

As of now, our biggest impact has been within Scarsdale. Along with the Scarsdale Student Government, I largely shaped the design of the up and coming Scarsdale “Hot Topics Room,” a safe space designed for a variety of students to talk about pressing issues that they may not otherwise have a chance to discuss. NYSEC alone has run this exact same room on multiple occasions. This is exactly the NYSEC model as we have envisioned it, a chance for students to talk freely and openly; a chance to learn how to talk.

In our conversation, Lemberg expressed that the work he is doing with NYSEC is something that he is incredibly passionate about and he will continue to work on for the rest of his life. He also made a point to include, “I founded the organization back in 2023, but since then, Oliver Kaiden has come on as a “Vice President,” and has been more valuable than I could imagine. He is a major part of the organization’s function.

For more information about NYSEC and to learn how you can get involved, check out their website here ny-sec.org.