Seeds Of Political Engagement? They're Planted Early

For some, it was parents or grandparents. For others, it was school elections, field trips to Washington, D.C. or programs like Girls State. Those were the answers we got recently when we asked NPR listeners to share photos and to tell us: who or what got you interested or involved in politics?

We got dozens of responses, and these are some of our favorites, complete with '80s hair and antique campaign buttons.

Chelsea Kiene posted two photos on Instagram. The first is her being sworn into Weston Elementary School's student council by, Randy Gardner — who's now an Ohio state senator.

toggle caption @chelseakiene via Instagram

"My interest and involvement in politics is so deeply rooted that I honestly cannot trace it back to one source (policy debates were commonplace at the dinner table and in my social circles)," writes Kiene.

toggle caption @chelseakiene via Instagram

And, it turns out, political enthusiasm goes back generations in her family.

This photo is of her grandparents with President Nixon. "Grandma is undeniably fan-girling in this shot," she writes. "Apparently the apple fell only a short distance from the tree."