GLASGOW, Ky. — Election season is underway at the Boys and Girls Club of Glasgow-Barren County, where members are eagerly awaiting the outcome of a recent vote to select the club’s next garden mascot.

The spirited campaign featured five candidates, one representing each elementary-age group and one from the teen program, each offering a different personality and set of ideals without traditional political labels.

“I started this as a learning process for the kids so that they could learn about the democratic process of voting in a free society,” said Program Director Jennifer Moonsong. “I think they've all learned something.”

Moonsong said the project was designed to help young members better understand the electoral process, democracy and the importance of voting, with the timing intentionally aligned with the upcoming primary election.

“Because politics are a very heavy and belabored subject these days, we wanted to teach the process without having to drag any of the real issues into it,” Moonsong said.

Last year, the Club launched its first garden, which provided fresh food for families and later sold surplus produce to the public. The idea of a garden mascot was introduced as a way to recognize the child who becomes the club’s “garden master.”

To mirror a real campaign structure, a campaign manager was selected from each age group. Over the course of about a week and a half, students worked to promote their candidates, distribute information and build support among their peers.

Candidates included Fern the Frog, Henrietta the Hedgehog, Garth the Grub, Toro the Turtle and Bart the Bunny.

“It's whatever they thought would be the best to represent the garden,” Moonsong said.

The fictional candidates each took on distinct platforms: Fern the Frog leaned into an environmentally friendly message, while Henrietta the Hedgehog emphasized compassion and “free food for everybody.”

Toro the Turtle was presented as an immigrant seeking a better life in America, while Bart the Bunny focused on efficiency and streamlining garden operations.

Garth the Grub, meanwhile, pushed a more unconventional platform of eliminating the garden entirely in favor of a factory model.

“I think as the grownups, who are keenly aware of American politics in the modern age, we all kind of knew what the candidates represented,” Moonsong said.

Students like 13-year-old Na’myiah House and 12-year-old Camden Drury took especially active roles as campaign managers.

“I think I went around at least twice a day,” Na’myiah said, describing her efforts to build support for her candidate.

She added that students reacted in different ways to the process, with some initially supporting candidates simply because they belonged to the same age group rather than because of their platforms.

“I think that we do sometimes vote for shallow reasons. I think that we don't always dig deep,” Moonsong said. “Some were not engaged at all, while others were extremely engaged.”

Camden used time in the Club’s technology class to design campaign materials on Canva, while other students in sewing club are preparing to create an outfit for the winning mascot.

“I’m handing out flyers that explain everything, basically,” he said.

For some students, the process served as more than just a lesson in politics.

“Vote for the frog, and the frog will give you confidence,” said 11-year-old Raylan Hampton, who said her confidence at school is sometimes affected by intimidation from classmates.

Even a write-in candidate made an appearance, Spider-Man, but organizers confirmed he will not be serving as garden mascot after failing to secure enough votes.

On May 19, the same day as Kentucky’s primary election, Club members will cast their ballots in a final vote. Henrietta the Hedgehog and Bart the Bunny have advanced to the general election.