Mayas Smith

Currently a junior at Bloomfield Hills High School, Mayas Smith has already had an impact on other children and earned recognition for his efforts. After visiting a second-grade classroom at Riverside Elementary in Waterford Township when he was a freshman, Smith created the Young Citizens Academy, a youth-driven program dedicated to educating elementary-age students on government, public service and civic responsibilities. Initially, his brother ran book drives at the school and they would read to the students. Then, Smith brought strategic board games like chess to teach to the class.

His impressive program would soon follow. “This year I moved into civics,” Smith said as he explained his own education. “Last year, I took American History and Intro to Government. This year, I took U.S. Government. Over the summer, I interned at the city of Bloomfield Hills Clerk’s Office, which included being a poll worker and stuffing ballots and responding to citizens.”

Smith was eager to share what he had learned. “I am interested in civics and I wanted to know how to help students in underprivileged communities,” he explained. “I was motivated by the election, but we didn’t talk about who was running. Some students didn’t know a lot about the election, so I wanted them to know more about it in the first place.”

At such a young age, Smith already knows how to handle such a hot topic. “I was trying to find a way to teach inherently political things without getting political myself,” he said. “My work at the clerk’s office did teach me that nonpartisan feeling, so I usually try to talk about the system myself.”

For instance, he held a mock election in the classroom where the students voted on different Dr. Seuss books.

“I was able to teach them about anonymous voting and majority and plurality voting,” Smith said. “How, for example, elections may seem like a simple thing, but in reality, they have a lot behind them.”

Smith also had students make a class flag on paper that represents themselves. “It might have yellow for respect and orange for kindness,” he explained.

He feels grateful for this opportunity. “In terms of rewards of the experience, I would say the satisfaction that I was able to make an impact. Bloomfield Hills High School is very insulated from such communities. When you get into a broader world, it can be very meaningful,” said Smith. “I had no idea something like that would be possible.”

In February, Smith received a prestigious honor for his program from state Representative Donni Steele (R-Orion Township, Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills) at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing. The tribute was signed by Representative Steele and state Senator Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield, Bloomfield Township), currently serving as President Pro Tempore of the Senate. For the Young Citizens Academy, his efforts were recognized with a legislative Special Tribute from the Michigan House of Representatives and the Senate.

For now, the bright student keeps learning and looking ahead.

“Outside of civics and government and my interest in politics, I do have an interest in business and economics,” said Smith, who participates in DECA (formerly Distributive Education Clubs of America) and plans to extend his reach to more students in the near future. “I want to expand the program in the next few months to other elementary schools and maybe other middle schools in the area.”

Story: Jeanine Matlow

Photo: Laurie Tennent