For Civics Learning Week, Secretary of State highlights new comic-art State House guides for kids
News Release | March 10, 2026
Artist and educator Dan Nott designed a new comic-art guide to the Vermont State House for students. Image courtesy of the Vt. Secretary of State's office
This week (March 9-13) is Civic Learning Week, an annual nationwide nonpartisan event that brings together students, educators, policymakers, and leaders in the public and private sectors to highlight and promote the movement for civic education.
“Civics is more than dry facts about the three branches of government. Civics is also about working together to affect change, solve problems and make life better for all of us,” said Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas. “Many of the problems we see around us are too big to solve on our own, and it’s crucial to understand how to get involved, make a difference and bring about the changes we want to see.”
To kick off this year’s Civic Learning Week, Copeland Hanzas highlighted a new resource that is available to Vermont students (and the public): “Your Vermont State House – Government and Democracy in Vermont’s Capital,” a comic map and guide that explains the history of the State House and how the government operates in Montpelier.
With support from the Secretary of State’s office, the State Curator’s Office and Vermont Humanities, the resource is the work of Dan Nott, an artist and educator at The Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction.
Nott previously created a longer-form graphic guide to Vermont government and history called “Freedom and Unity,” published in 2022. This new State House project aims to take advantage of a unique opportunity: “It's a tradition for many schools in Vermont to take their 4th graders on a trip to Montpelier to visit the Capitol building and history museum, and a lot of times it’s the students’ first experience learning about government,” Nott explained. “One of the goals of [this resource] is to help Vermonters visualize what their government actually is and where the work of government takes place. When you hear about committees meeting to debate policy, or a vote happening on the floor of the State House, this is where it’s happening!”
Copeland Hanzas said she would love to see all fourth graders in Vermont learning from the new State House guide. “Currently, not all schools can afford it. The fact is, there’s no substitute for this kind of learning experience, and I hope we can work with our legislature to make it possible for all students,” she said.
The guides are produced through a partnership with Vermont Humanities and its Executive Director Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup said a the nonprofit is eager to work on a project that aims “to get young people involved in our democracy.”
Ilstrup noted that the new map, in particular, directs young readers to consider joining the Vermont State Youth Council, which advises the legislature on issues of importance to young Vermonters.
State Curator David Schutz said the map gives students a hands-on guide to learn from at home and to use when they visit the state capital. “As students wend their way through the State House and on to other locations in Montpelier’s Capitol District, we are incredibly grateful that Dan Nott’s map gives them a resource for navigating our state government,” Schutz said. “These are future voters learning directly how to participate in our democracy. This new tool for learning could not have come at a better time!”
Copeland Hanzas has made civics education and engagement a central facet of her work since taking office in 2023. Her office has a dedicated civics program with initiatives including:
A Teacher Advisory Group that provides feedback and helps develop K-12 civic education materials;
A civic education resource library on the Secretary of State’s website;
Vermont’s first Civic Health Index, which looks at six domains of civic health across the state: Volunteerism and Donating, Political Engagement, Social and Community Context, Cultural Access and Engagement, Media Trust and Access, and Government Trust and Access. It also highlights results from the Vermont Youth Civic Health Survey;
Bringing the Kid Governor program to Vermont. Kid Governor is a civic education experience for 5th graders that teaches about government, voting, and civic participation through an authentic election for kids. In its inaugural year, over 1000 5th graders voted in an election that saw Highgate student Roslyn Fortin win on a platform focused on addressing homelessness.
Learn more about the Vermont Secretary of State’s Civics Program on the office's website here.