MTA talmidim Sam Blech, Samuel Gorman, Akiva Kra, Binyamin Rubin, Yitzy Shaykevich and Jonathan Sherman represented MTA at Civic Spirit Day on Thursday, May 7. The goal of this event, hosted by Civic Spirit, an organization that provides school communities with the tools, training and a diverse network to foster civic responsibility, was to bring students from various cultures together to raise awareness about the importance of the U.S. Census. The day began with icebreakers, as everybody shared their favorite song and got to know each other. The conversation quickly became in-depth as Lindsay Bressman, one of the event organizers, discussed “the power of the human spirit” and how civics can always play a role in our lives, even if the situation we find ourselves in is different than usual. Kra kindly assisted the Civic Spirit staff as an assistant facilitator, making sure the Zoom meeting was always running smoothly.

During the second half of the day, students split into groups so they could learn more about the census and have the opportunity to ask questions. Students learned that the census isn’t just a count, but a way of providing help to communities that are most in need. The census also ensures that the House of Representatives has an accurate amount of members to reflect population size. Participants learned a lot from this event and look forward to continuing the conversation at a second event next week, where they will discuss ways to help more people fill out the census form. All of the MTA representatives are eager to join next week’s conference and assist in creating solutions to some significant problems, in an effort to benefit society.