Ellie Lively, a fifth grade student at Bicentennial Elementary School, and her teacher Aimee Carignan. Ellie was recently elected as the New Hampshire Kid Governor for 2024. Courtesy photo/Nashua School District

NASHUA – Ellie Lively, a fifth grade student at Bicentennial Elementary School, was recently elected from a field of seven candidates as New Hampshire Kid Governor for 2024.

Her appointment was announced just before Thanksgiving as a surprise to her in front of cheering classmates, her teacher Aimee Carignan, principal Michael Mahoney and assistant principal Laura Dyer as well as her very proud family.

NH Kid Governor is a highly engaging civics program that started in Nashua in 2019. Lola Giannelli, formerly of Sunset Heights Elementary School, was the first NH Kid Governor.

Last year, Jordan Sseguya, who, at the time, was a fifth grade student at Bicentennial, served as a member of the NH Kid Governor Executive Council.

NH Kid Governor teaches students about state government, elections and voting as well as civic participation through a real election to the state’s kid governor, which is timed to be in sync with the annual November elections.

Ellie has vowed to devote her one-year term to promoting her campaign platform, bolstering efforts to mobilize students to take action to address animal abuse in New Hampshire.

Ellie’s term officially begins in January. Her inauguration will be held at the State House where she will take the oath of office administered by Gordon MacDonald, chief justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court and Gov. Chris Sununu.

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