What can a 9-year-old teach us about civic engagement?

We meet Henry Menniga, a remarkable young resident of Des Moines who was awarded the National Association of Secretaries of State Medallion Award for his work promoting voter education and community service. Henry and his mom, Molly, talk about the start of his civic interests, a mock election when he was 4. Then, we talk with University of Iowa law scholar Josephine Gittler about why she drafted legislation that is now law, requiring Iowa high schoolers to pass the U.S. citizenship test. And, Iowa State University's Karen Kedrowski and Kelly Shaw discuss the new Center for Cyclone Civics. The center aims to increase civic education and engagement at the university level. (This episode was originally produced Aug. 4, 2025.)