Round Rock group teaches fellow teens they can make a difference

Even though they aren’t old enough to vote, a group of Round Rock youths have formed the Austin Teen Coalition, aimed at making local government more accessible to young people.

The idea for the group came to Mainur Khan, 17, and Zach Moser, 16, in April as they were quarantined at their respective homes, only interacting with each other and their Round Rock High School classmates online.The two said they noticed a concerning trend among their peers: many fellow students were either sharing misinformation about COVID-19, or seemed apathetic to current events altogether.

Khan and Moser resolved to fix this problem by finding a way to make politics and current events more accessible to other teenagers. Thus, the Austin Teen Coalition was formed.

Khan and Moser, along with fellow Round Rock High students Juan Rivas and Jordyn Tunnell, created a website meant to serve as the group’s informational hub. There, you can find articles the teens have written on topics that range from climate change to voter turnout to the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine. The website is also home to several recorded interviews the teens have conducted via Zoom with local leaders and candidates.

“We make an effort to talk to local politicians,” Mainur said. “We want to connect the dots for teens, and show how it (government) affects you. You can say ‘Traffic on I-35 is bad,’ but there are also things you can do about it. Even if you can’t vote.”

Among the group’s first interviewees was Round Rock Mayor Craig Morgan, who said he was very impressed with how the meeting went. For nearly an hour, the teens asked Morgan peer-submitted questions regarding how the city of Round Rock is handling COVID-19, how youths can become more involved with local government and general recent happenings around the city.

“They were more prepared to interview me than some people who interview me and do it for a living,” Morgan said.

More recently, the group interviewed Austin Mayor Steve Adler about the city’s plans to address police brutality and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The group hosted a virtual town hall with Donna Imam, currently running as a Democratic candidate for the District 31 seat in the U.S. House. Teens emailed the group questions, which Imam answered live. The coalition has another town hall planned with Democratic U.S. Senate candidate MJ Hager.

Other recordings that can be found on the coalition’s website include an interview with Cedar Park Council Member Anne Duffy about the importance of local government; an interview with Round Rock school district Superintendent Steve Flores and Director of Communications Jenny Caputo about plans for the upcoming school year; and an interview with Round Rock High School students Chai Savage and Jaylen Lee about the Black Lives Matter movement.

Khan was quick to point out that the group is party neutral, and aims to lay out facts objectively so teens can decide their opinion for themselves. Further, the coalition’s resources shouldn’t be considered just for teens, Moser said, but can be useful to anyone who wants “trusted, reliable” information about local politics and current events.

Moving forward, Khan and Moser said the plan is to host in-person events when it is safe to do so. They, along with Rivas and Tunnell, are brainstorming ideas for encouraging voting participation among teens, Moser said.

Khan and Moser, who are both about to enter their senior year, are still deciding where they’ll go to college. Khan said he plans to study biology with the ultimate goal of becoming a pulmonologist. Moser plans to study business and political science and work on a campaign. Both said they plan to remain involved in local government while promoting civic participation among their peers.

“Our government works for us,” Khan said, “not the other way around.”