Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) has been awarded the 2026 Highly Established Action Plan Seal by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. The national initiative recognizes colleges and universities for developing innovative and effective strategies to increase nonpartisan civic engagement and student voter participation.
RVCC is one of 129 campuses nationwide—and only 19 community colleges in the U.S. —recognized for the 2026 election cycle. The Highly Established Action Plan Seal is the program’s highest level of recognition for institutional planning and impact.
Middlesex College in Edison was the only other New Jersey community college to receive the Highly Established Action Plan Seal. Several four-year New Jersey institutions that also earned the seal included Rutgers-New Brunswick, Ramapo College in Mahwah, Montclair State University, and The College of New Jersey in Ewing.
RVCC's initiative was led by The Pray Family Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement, in partnership with the Office of Student Life. RVCC’s Action Plan focuses on engaging students, faculty, administrators, community nonprofit partners, and local election officials in collaborative efforts to increase student voter participation.
Through both curricular and co-curricular initiatives—inside and outside the classroom—the college promotes informed civic participation. Activities have included voter registration drives, opportunities for students to train and serve as poll workers, civic education workshops, election information sessions, and social media campaigns designed to encourage students to register, learn about key issues, and vote.
The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge—in collaboration with the American Democracy Project, Campus Vote Project, NASPA LEAD Initiative, and the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition—developed the Strengthening American Democracy Guide to help campuses create comprehensive action plans that promote democratic engagement. Institutions evaluate their plans using a rubric based on the guide; the Highly Established Action Plan Seal recognizes campuses that score at least 31.5 out of 36 possible points.
“Colleges and universities have a responsibility to prepare students to engage meaningfully in our nation’s democracy,” said Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, executive director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “We are proud to recognize Raritan Valley Community College for developing and implementing a comprehensive, data-informed campus action plan that empowers the next generation of voters.”
The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge currently engages more than 9.8 million students at over 960 institutions across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, helping colleges and universities institutionalize nonpartisan civic learning and voter participation.
Photo caption: RVCC’s efforts to encourage nonpartisan civic engagement included a recent “Why Local Elections Matter” event, which highlighted the significance of student participation in shaping the future of their communities and the nation. – Photo courtesy of RVCC.
