Political science major named ENACT student delegate

University of Maine fourth-year student Miranda Roberts of Hermon has been chosen to serve as a student delegate for the Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation (ENACT), a new national program based at Brandeis University designed to engage young people in state legislative change.

Roberts is a political science major with double minors in Spanish and Canadian studies. Her honors include a John M. Nickerson University of Maine Scholarship earlier this year. In summer 2016, she was an intern in the Canadian Parliament.

As an ENACT student delegate, she will foster civic engagement by mentoring and collaborating with members of UMaine student organizations to help them become more effective citizen advocates at the state legislative level, according to the organization’s website. She also will network with other students gaining similar skills and experiences at colleges and universities throughout the country.

Last year, Roberts participated in a 300-level Maine government course led by Robert Glover, assistant professor of honors and political science. Glover is part of a nationwide network of ENACT Faculty Fellows who help students learn how to work with advocacy organizations, legislators and legislative staff members to advance policy.

In Glover’s class, students gain hands-on experience in legislative advocacy — from researching bills before the state legislature and interpreting proposed legislation to learning how to interact with lawmakers to impact policymaking. This spring, students in the Maine government class will be in Augusta working directly with lawmakers to impact public policy, as well as with policy research and advocacy organizations in the state.