When Grade 4 Head Teacher Jane Rosenfeld couldn't find kid-friendly resources explaining city and state government, she wrote her own! Her new picture book, "Who's in Charge of New York State: A Kid's Guide to Government," helps readers in Grades 2-5 understand how government works by comparing it to something they already know well: how a school is run.

"If we want kids to be civically engaged and excited about participating, we need to get them thinking about and comfortable with systems from a young age," Rosenfeld says. "We make challenging concepts understandable by building parallels to systems they're already familiar with."

The book grew out of Spence's Grade 4 election curriculum, where it will now be used in the classroom. Each fall, students follow a live election and come away with a deeper grasp of government, civic systems, and current events. Rosenfeld is working with Grade 5 teachers to build on that civic foundation, so students keep growing as informed, engaged citizens.

This year, as the 2026-2027 Brizendine Scholar, Rosenfeld is studying civics education across the country and will return to Spence with fresh ideas to strengthen discussion, critical thinking, and student voice in the classroom.