The COVID-19 pandemic has inspired Gen Z to embrace their entrepreneurial spirit and give back to their community, writes Ben Gose for AP News.  

Jahnavi Rao, a Berwyn resident, founded New Voters shortly after the 2016 election, when she was a high school junior. New Voters helps high school students run voter registration drives at their local schools.

When Rao entered her freshman year of college at Harvard University in 2018, she put the charity on hold. After adjusting to college life, she revived the organization as a sophomore, bringing the program to Boston public high schools. 

When the pandemic hit, New Voters saw an increase in popularity. Rao said, “High school and college students had a lot of time on their hands.”  

Since then, New Voters has worked with 300 Gen Z interns across more than 400 high schools. The charity has a research sector studying the civic engagement of high school students and looking for prospective volunteers to help with research or lead voter registration drives. 

“Gen Z wants to get involved, and they really want to get involved in ways that are meaningful,” Rao said. 

Read more about Jahnavi Rao’s New Voters and other inspirational Gen Z charities at AP News. 

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