Stonington -- A fifth-grader student at West Vine School was sworn in Friday as a member of the Kid Governor’s Cabinet during a virtual inauguration ceremony. 

Claire Li was sworn in along with other members of the Cabinet and Reese Naughton of Southington who was the winner of the election to be the 2021 Connecticut Kid Governor. Li took the oath of office from Secretary of the State Denise Merrill.

Li then participated in a news conference, answering questions submitted by fellow fifth graders and  participated in a virtual educational program on the three branches of state government. The Cabinet will spend the year working to achieve their campaign goals and will meet regularly.

Li will also take part in public programs with The Connecticut Democracy Center and encourage students across the state to take action on her platform called "Be Positive: Pandemic Perseverance."

Its goals include brightening the lives of nursing home residents through positive messages, coordinating a statewide poster contest for positive messages by and for students and encouraging students to take care of their mental health through safe, outdoor activities.

The kid governor program is a free statewide civics program created by The Connecticut Democracy Center at Connecticut's Old State House that teaches fifth-grade students about state government, voting, and the importance of civic engagement through a statewide election.