CIVICS PROJECTS 2026: In May LWV-MV members attended a senior class presentation of civics projects at the MVRHS. Seven groups of seniors talked about an issue they had researched over the semester, presenting it as a problem to be solved with goals and a plan to achieve those goals.
Two of the groups focused on accessibility to health care off island. One group saw it as a Steamship Authority issue: decreased access to same day emergency reservations for islanders during the busy season. One solution offered was a van specifically to be used for these trips so that people would not have to take their cars on the boat.
Another solution, in jest, was to build a bridge to the mainland. The other group focused on healthcare accessibility on and off island. Problems included getting off island, the expense of health care (especially emergency care) and understaffing at MV Hospital. To decrease the expense of travel off island and on island, free transportation funded by donations was considered to increase availability of a “medivan.”
Another student group focused on low attendance at town meetings. The group interviewed residents who cited a variety of reasons such as time of day, tired from work, lack of child care for non-attendance. Through contact with the MA Moderators Assn, the students were encouraged to create five minute video that could be added to the classroom page of the Moderators Assn. The video is not yet completed and the group agreed to share with the League to post when finished.
Two groups were focused on trash (especially plastic and mylar balloons) and pollution. One group even collected trash on State Beach one day and suggested that a plan for organized beach clean-up days in the future would be helpful. Both groups saw public education through social media and printed flyers in venues where they would most likely be seen, such as restaurants.
One group focused on the fear of arrest and deportation by ICE and how it affects residents of Martha’s Vineyard. The group developed a questionnaire with a QR code to collect responses from approximately 70 students to determine their knowledge level about ICE . They shared the collected data with the island’s representatives in state government. The group wants to increase awareness among the community through social media and flyers.
The last group focused on the lack of affordable housing. They believed that increased coordination with Island Housing Trust was important to meet their goal of available housing. Overall, the students chose topics that have great impact on the daily lives of their peers as well as island residents of all ages.