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Beyond the Vote:Taking Youth Civic

Engagement tothe Next Level

Michael MinksOutreach Manager

Youth Service America

National Service-Learning Conference 2009Friday, March 20 1:45pm

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The Future of

DemocracyWe need young people to be civicallyengaged in order to define and addresspublic problems. Their participation isimportant for democracy, for institutionssuch as schools, and for young peoplethemselves, who are more likely to succeedin life if they are engaged in theircommunities. Youth are tolerant, patriotic,and idealistic, but most lack the skills andopportunities they need to participate inpolitics or address public problems. We mustboth prepare citizens for politics and improve

politics for citizens. Peter Levine

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Agenda

Background & Theory (15 minutes)

Civic Engagement Defined

Civic Engagement & Service-Learning Standards Civic Engagement & the Millennials

Research Review (20 minutes)

Action Planning (40 minutes) Focus Group (10 minutes)

Q & A (5 minutes)

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Civic Engagement

Almost one third of respondents feltthey did not know what this phrasemeant, and another 22 percent gavemiscellaneous responses that wewere unable to classify. (over 50%)

Despite the popularity of the phrasein education today, Millennials werethe most likely (at 42%) to say theydidnt know what it meant.

- 2008 Civic Health Index

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What is Civic

Engagement? Individual and collective

actions designed to identify and

address issues of publicconcern or all behaviors thataffect public matters

More than Volunteering & Voting

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Youth Engagement:

Youth As Citizens Youth Voice Youth Leadership Youth Decision-Making Youth Philanthropy Youth Media/Journalism Youth Voting Youth Organizing

Youth Service Youth Participation Youth Membership Youth Activism Youth Social Entrepreneurship Youth Governance

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Civic Indicators

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Relationship to Service

& Service-Learning Service-Learning as part of

Civic Engagement Civic engagement as part of

Service-Learning Direct Service + Civic Action

Advocacy Focused Projects Civic Action as Follow-Up

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Goals

Short-Term Increase in civic indicators

Intermediate Sense of connectedness to community

benefits to youth & community

Long-Term Systematic youth engagement,

social/cultural/policy change

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Civic Engagement

Standards Multi-behavior (Link to Curriculum) Sustained (Duration & Intensity)

Strategic Results (Progress Monitoring) Inclusive (Diversity) Collective (Partnerships)

Citizen-Centered (Youth Voice) Issue Focused (Meaningful Service) Localized (Meaningful Service)

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Millennials

Born 1980/85 2000/05 (everyone currently in K-16)

Mobile, connected, technological, communications

savvy, social networkers Living the cause lifestyle, highest rate of

volunteerism

Racially and ethnically diverse, open-minded &tolerant

Leadership through partnership, involved locally,dislike spin & polarized debate, seek authenticdiscussion & dialogue

Educated, multi-taskers

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Recent Research

Civic Health Index Social Citizens Millennials Talk Politics

Democracy 2.0 Citizens at the Center Civic Engagement Gap

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Recent Research

What are the 2-3 most interesting,most important facts?

What is one implication for your work?

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Why Students Engage

They are asked.

Infrastructure & opportunitiesprovided.

Engaged in other ways.

Focused on issues. Expectation of engagement.

Engagement starts early.

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Recommendations

All Students Need to haveOpportunities for Civic and PoliticalParticipation & Students NeedOpportunities and Space for Deliberation on Public Issues (MTP)

Citizen-centered approaches:Citizens define important issues anddecide on appropriate actions (CatC)

Use social media as a new publiccommons, build a movement (SC, D2.0)

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Groups

What are your ideas for integratingcivic engagement into your service

and service-learning programs? Advocacy projects? Reflection & Follow up? Direct service & civic action?

Educate about processes, options? Highlight & recognize? Resources? Young Children?

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Focus Group

What resources would be helpful?

What features should a civic engagementwebsite have? For Youth (Issues, Impact, Interact) For Adults

Would a campaign help to promoteengagement and connect concepts?

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Questions?

Michael MinksOutreach Manager Youth Service Americamminks@ysa.org

202.296.2992 x125www.ServiceVote.org