BRIDGEWATER, Va. (WHSV) – Through a $20,000 grant from the Scholars Strategy Network, Professor Bobbi G. Gentry is educating Bridgewater College students and the community at large in building trust and understanding the electoral process.

“We live in a country called the ‘representative republic,’ which means we choose who makes decisions for us. Our government will better represent us and our needs and desires,” said Dr. Gentry.

The funds will go to the Valley Voting Project website and events conducted by Gentry and her colleague Dr. Ben Blankenship of James Madison University.

A key voting population is college students, Gentry said, and she and other Bridgewater staffers have found creative ways to get Yanaka’s young voters excited about the election process.

“Blue Ridge Community College, JMU, Bridgewater, and EMU are participating in this Tik Tok competition because we know students engage with social media, but in reality, other Because we’re doing something worthwhile to persuade millions of people to register to vote,” Dr. Gentry said.

Dr. Gentry has also received grants to celebrate civic holidays, days of action that celebrate democracy, like National Voter Registration Day.

For those interested in learning more, there are several upcoming events hosted by the Valley Votes Project.

The next event will be titled “The Valley Votes Confidently” and will be held on October 11th at Blue Ridge Community College.

Learn more about the Valley Votes Project and other election information here.

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