Looking for young people? They're closer than you think

Impact
ByAustin Estes

Convincing young invincibles to sign up for healthcare is difficult, but finding them could be half the challenge. Here's an idea: bring health education directly to the classroom. 

Registering young people to vote is just as challenging as enrolling them in healthcare, but we at Rock the Vote have developed a program called Democracy Class to bring civic education directly to high school students. We instruct them on the importance of voting, provide them with unbiased resources, and show them how to register on the spot. This helps build a civics-conscious cohort of young people who will, ideally, become life-long voters. Let's do the same with healthcare.

High school students need to know the importance of getting covered. States should design a curriculum that teaches students about the Affordable Care Act, shows them the importance of health care, and provides them with unbiased resources. That way, students will be willing and ready to enroll when the time comes.