On Sunday afternoon, people from all over Vermont gathered at the Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society (CVUUS) for a meaningful dialogue featuring former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, gubernatorial candidate Esther Charlestin and Addie Lentzner ’27, a delegate to the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC). The dialogue focused on the importance of active participation in democracy, especially by women and young people. The speakers explored how everyone can engage more deeply in civic life, not only by voting in the upcoming presidential election, but also by taking part in local elections and community decision-making.
The open community event, named “Practicing Democracy: Women in Public Office,” was put together by the Early Care and Learning Project, a nonpartisan nonprofit whose mission is to “improve the wellbeing of all children and families in Addison County and beyond.”
Cheryl Mitchell, one of the organizers of the event and member of Middlebury Friends Meeting, a Quaker society in Middlebury, initially sought to create an event that highlighted specific local and national candidates. However, due to restrictions in the CVUUS space which prohibit partisan political work, she and the other organizers shifted the focus of the event to the importance of civic engagement.
“This event is the outcome of a group of us coming together to think about what we could do, and we recognize that supporting candidates who share our values is such an important action,” Mitchell said in her opening address. “However, this event is not about political action, rather about how we can each be more engaged in creating the world we would like for our children and grandchildren.”
The event began with a half-hour talk by the special guest speakers. Instead of a traditional Q&A session, attendees were invited to visit various action tables set up around the venue, each showcasing different ways people can become more engaged and involved in their communities. The tables included postcard and letter-writing stations where attendees could write to voters in other states, sign-ups for national organizations, canvassing opportunities, guides on hosting election watch parties, youth civic involvement, a kids' activity table and many others all related to civic engagement.
Lentzner was the first to speak. She talked about the importance of youth civic engagement and her experience as a delegate at the 2024 DNC.
“We truly do have the ability to affect change, whether through protest or advocacy or running for office ourselves,” Lentzner said in her opening remarks. “Life is about more than just one issue, it is about all of them together intersecting to create a world where we have hope, justice and love, and of course we do not agree on everything, and sometimes we don’t agree on anything, but we all just want a future where we can live, so I urge you to go out and have those difficult conversations.”
Lentzner founded the Vermont Student Anti-Racism Network, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that has donated hundreds of books to children across Vermont, written two pieces of legislation, received the NAACP Youth Activism Award in 2022 and led a campaign to secure housing for people experiencing homelessness, which resulted in an executive order to provide shelter — along with many other impactful initiatives.
“Being at the convention, and being with so many young people who had different perspectives, made me see it is possible for us to come together,” Lentzner said in an interview with The Campus later that evening. “It is a possibility, we just need to be engaged. We are all so busy, but it is important not to see it as another extracurricular activity to be politically engaged, but to just see it as life, and building a better community for all of us to be in.”
Charlestin, the current Democratic nominee for Vermont governor, also spoke about her own journey getting engaged into politics after moving to Vermont in 2019.
“I decided to get involved. It was 2020, and I felt all things were possible,” Charlestin said. “2020 was the year we could mail in our ballots, and I wrote my name in the ballot, as a sign that I am a part of this community.”
Two years later, Charlestin had been elected to the town of Middlebury selectboard in 2021 and was reelected again in 2022. Charlestin had also worked as the Dean of Climate & Culture in the Addison County School District, but resigned due to an experience with racism.
Charlestin observed that women are more often asked by others to run for office rather than deciding to launch campaigns on their own, adding that when women are not represented, decisions are made without their input.
Charlestin also highlighted the organization Emerge, which helped train her and other women to run for office, along with building a network of women who work together and support each other.
Many other options for attendee involvement were discussed, as well as opportunities for others not in attendance. Attendees had the opportunity to learn more about canvassing, which is a form of outreach typically done through door-to-door visits, phone calls, or tabling at public events. Its main goal is to inform voters, gauge public opinion, and persuade voters to support a particular candidate. Anyone can get involved in canvassing in major swing states, like New Hampshire, through websites such as Mobilize U.S, which highlights local canvassing opportunities.
Former Vermont Governor and 2004 presidential candidate Howard Dean gave remarks at the event, which drew significant attention from the audience due to his several years of experience in public service. He emphasized that elected officials should always remember that their salaries are funded by voters and should be held accountable to the public. He urged people to recognize the power of their voices and to ensure they are heard.
“We are lucky enough to have a democratic system in our country,” Dean said. “Organize, get out there, do what you believe in, encourage the generation switching, as it is time to pass this on to a new generation, so I hope that Gen Z gets out there and votes.”
Mandy Berghela '26 (she/her) is a Senior Local Editor.
Mandy previously served as a local editor and staff writer. She is a Political Science major with a History minor. Mandy serves as co-president for Southeast Asian Society (SEAS), a member on the Judicial Board, and an intern for the Conflict Transformation Collaborative. In her free time, she enjoys cycling and reading fantasy novels.
