This year alone 4,377 eligible West Virginia high school students have registered and pledged to vote with a local nonpartisan organization, Inspire West Virginia.

Along with the Greenbrier County Clerk, Robin Loudermilk, the Inspire WV program (IWV) is making its way to Greenbrier County and presenting to senior classes before graduation.

Last month, 125 seniors at Greenbrier East high school became registered voters. Clerk Loudermilk and Inspire WV Regional Manager Olivia Hubbard presented in various senior social studies classes on the importance of the youth vote in the mountain state and country. Since 2014, IWV has supported and trained student leaders across the state in planning and executing peer-led voter registration, engagement, and mobilization events, but this is the first time Greenbrier County schools have been actively involved with IWV. This peer-to-peer model has led to the success of WV high schools registering and pledging to vote more than 15,331 young voters in our state since 2014.

IWV and Clerk Loudermilk hope to work with student leaders next school year and rising juniors and seniors are encouraged to apply to the Inspire WV program. Students can apply to be a leader here: www.inspire-usa.org/2019_application. Follow Inspire West Virginia on social media @inspirewestvirginia and Inspire U.S. @inspire2vote.