Twitter: @MichaelSani
Website: www.bitetheballot.co.uk

Michael Sani’s radical vision is to create a generation of young changemakers who have the skills and confidence needed to embark on a journey of lifelong political engagement. By removing the barriers to youth participation, Michael aims to mobilise a critical mass of young voters who will tip the democratic system as we know it.

He launched Bite the Ballot in 2010 in response to his own disengagement with politics as a young person eligible to vote. A party neutral movement, Bite the Ballot is a non profit organisation that empowers, informs and inspires young people through a network of digital platforms. 2016 saw the third National Voter Registration Drive, a week-long grassroots campaign to engage more young people in the voting process.

Michael is now looking to the youngest generation. Introducing democracy workshops into the secondary school curriculum and developing interactive educational games are all part of his mission to foster fundamental skills for future engagement. Next in his sights is scaling this model to UK primary schools.

A classroom game where children imagine and create their own island is currently being piloted, designed to encourage thoughtful decision-making, empathy and resilience. By supporting these key skills at an early age, he envisages a future generation of confident and resilient citizens.

Michael is quickly being recognised as one of the world leaders in social innovation, as a recent name check from Barack Obama attests. Already an ASHOKA fellow, Michael has just been named a ‘Re-Imagine Learning’ Fellow for the Lego Foundation for his work with innovative and playful learning.

Video: Michael Sani’s primary school game project