OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) — Oklahoma’s youngest state legislator stressed the importance of civic participation and education when he was honored with a special award on Civics Day at the Oklahoma State Capitol.
Rep. Arturo Alonso-Sandoval, a 25-year-old member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, received the Community Changemaker Award from Generation Citizen, last week.
Alonso-Sandoval said participating in Civics Day at the Capitol reaffirmed his enduring support for youth engagement and the power of civic participation.
“Generation Citizen’s Civics Day is more than just a showcase of student research; it’s a testament to the incredible potential of young people to drive meaningful change. When I was invited to deliver the keynote speech, I spoke directly to a generation, my generation, that isn’t just dreaming about the future, but actively working to shape it. To my surprise, I was deeply humbled to receive the ‘Community Changemaker Award’ for the work I had done in engaging young people this year,” Alonso-Sandoval said. “This recognition isn’t just about me, it’s about the belief that young voices matter. It’s about breaking down the barriers that tell our youth they’re too young to make a difference or that politics is a distant, complicated world beyond their reach.”
Alonso-Sandoval collaborated with Principal Gina Villalva from Emerson South High School on ‘Pathways to Politics’, an innovative program designed to demystify the political process and show students that civic engagement is a powerful tool for creating real change.
“Through this course, we brought in elected officials from various levels of government—from school board to city council, state legislature, and federal representatives too. The goal was to show these young people that their voices aren’t just heard, they’re essential,” Alonso-Sandoval said.
Oklahoma’s youth can shape the future as well as the present, according to Alonso-Sandoval.
“They possess an incredible capacity to dream big, challenge the status quo and imagine solutions that previous generations might have considered impossible,” he said. “By providing platforms for civic education and engagement, we’re not just teaching them about government—we’re empowering them to become the leaders our community needs, now more than ever.”
Alonso-Sandoval said he will continue championing civic education.
“Because when we invest in our young people’s civic education and engagement, we’re investing in the very foundation of our democratic process,” he said. “Thank you for reminding me why I do this work. Thank you for giving me hope. The future is ours!”
Civic education was recently celebrated in Oklahoma City during the Oklahoma finals of the National Civics Bee.
The State Chamber hosted Oklahoma’s 2024 National Civics Bee competition in August. Middle schoolers who won their local competitions participated in the state final, answering highly challenging questions about civics, which included U.S. government and judicial history. Each contestant also gave an oral presentation of the essay each wrote for the competition.
The Chamber will host the competition again in summer 2025 in partnership with The Civic Trust® of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, inspiring middle schoolers to become better informed about American democracy, to engage respectfully and constructively in the community and to build greater trust in others and institutions.
