16:1 - Education, Teaching, & Learning School Strategies for Encouraging Civic Engagement & Volunteerism
School Strategies for Encouraging Civic Engagement & Volunteerism
Youth civic engagement and volunteerism are critical components of building and sustaining strong and vibrant communities. Participating in these activities helps us feel a sense of ownership, responsibility, and pride in the places where we live and work. Engaging today's students in volunteerism and civic action can be a significant challenge, particularly given the numerous distractions and pressures that exist in their daily lives.
As we look at the challenges of engaging younger demographics, some of the most significant obstacles we face are structural— but not insurmountable! To address issues of access, inclusion, resource limitations, and awareness that keep youth voting participation low and national rates of volunteerism falling, we must guarantee that the support structures we build around civic activity are designed to help students tackle real problems in their communities and experience the impact of their efforts.
Sources & Resources:
University of Maryland - School of Public Policy - Where Are America's Volunteers by Dietz and Grimm
Education Week - Volunteerism Declined Among Young People by Sarah D. Sparks
Education Commission of the States - 50 State Comparison
Bloomberg - Why Americans Stopped Volunteering by Linda Poon
Tufts - Tisch College - Half of Youth Voted in 2020, An 11-Point Increase from 2016