At Carvajal Elementary School in San Antonio, two bearded dragons named Eevee and Charzard are locked in a fierce battle for the title of “Master Pet of Carvajal Elementary.”
The mock election, which will take place at the school tomorrow on Election Day, has captivated students, who have campaigned for their candidates with enthusiasm and positivity.
While no reliable polling has been released in the weeks leading up to the ballots being cast, the second-grade class that has led bearded dragon Eevee’s campaign hopes the school-wide vote will break their way, while the fifth-grade class manning Charzard’s campaign think their candidate has the upper hand.
Whoever prevails, both sides have agreed to respect the outcome.
As Election Day approaches in San Antonio, students across the city are immersing themselves in the historic and often contentious election process, finding creative ways to better understand the ins and outs of democracy, while older students prepare to delve into the emotional complexities of civic engagement.
Fifth-grade dual language teacher Danielle Salgado, who organized the bearded dragon election at the San Antonio ISD school, said the idea came to her as she was searching for a way to teach students about the importance of voting without exposing them to the negativity of current politics.
“I wanted to do it in a more neutral way, but where they really got to understand the importance of voting and why we need to vote,” said Salgado. “We have a female dragon and a male dragon. How more perfect could this be for this historic election?”
Each group of student supporters created persuasive writing pieces and selected campaign songs — Eevee’s being “Girl on Fire” by Alicia Keys and Charzard’s “Roar” by Katy Perry — and even held a “battle of the bands” down the school’s hallways to drum up votes.
The fifth-grade students also discussed the possibility of the campaigns growing ugly, and brainstormed, “What are the negative things that could possibly come out about Charzard [and] how do we message against whatever negative things might come out in a positive way? How do we turn negatives into positives?”
As students cast their ballots tomorrow, Salgado said she hopes the low-stakes experience will have a lasting impact.
“I’m hoping this will be a memory they carry for the rest of their lives,” she said. “Hopefully, we’ve made lifelong voters.”
In older grades throughout SAISD students are also learning how the election fits into broader lessons about government and democracy.
One class of Advanced Placement Government and Politics students at Highland High School, which includes many first-time voters who turned 18 in time for this presidential election, will gather at a local pizza spot to watch results come in.
Crossing the aisle
Meanwhile, leaders at a few of the major higher education institutions in San Antonio are looking to help students navigate the complex emotions and questions likely to arise in the hours, days and weeks after a contentious election cycle.
Trinity University recently launched “The Conversation,” an initiative aimed at creating spaces for students to engage with differing perspectives on topics like immigration, reproductive rights and politics. Interim Associate Provost Kyle Gillette told the San Antonio Report on the eve of the election that the effort is about more than just politics — it’s about teaching students to navigate disagreements productively.
“We’ve been taught that it’s not safe to talk to people on the other side,” Gillette said, referencing Danielle Allen’s book Talking to Strangers, a key focus for a recent reading group at the university. “One of the most important things for democracy is to build the capacity to relate to those with whom we disagree.”
The day after the election, Trinity will host post-election listening circles, where students can process the results — whether clear or still uncertain.
The university’s approach focuses not only on understanding national politics but also on connecting students with local issues and instilling the belief that civic responsibility continues beyond Election Day, he said, pointing to other important local elections in the near future such as the open San Antonio mayoral race next May.
A similar effort has taken shape at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), where the Center for Dialogue and Deliberation is also preparing to help students navigate the post-election landscape. Laurie Lewis, the center’s director, emphasized the importance of teaching students to engage in authentic listening and collaborative communication during this polarized time.
“We need the tools to communicate about those differences and explore them with each other,” Lewis said. “And that’s, in our view, the foundation of resolving conflicts, of making good decisions, and collaborating to solve complicated problems.”
Recent dialogues arranged by the center have included discussions about democracy “that gave students an opportunity to talk about their anxieties, stresses, fears, hopes and desires regarding democracy in the United States,” Lewis said.
Lewis said that the exact way the center will navigate the days after the election isn’t set in stone, with uncertainty around the outcome and potential challenges.
“I think there will likely be, no matter the election results, … a need for students to process their feelings and their anxieties and their evaluation of what has taken place,” she said. “And we will likely provide a space for them to do that.”
This article has been updated to correctly identify Charzard, one of the bearded dragon candidates for Master Pet of Carvajal Elementary.
