Educating Students for Civic Engagement: What the Arts Have to Do With It

Abstract

The literature on civic engagement in higher education is rich with examples of courses and programs that promote the development of students as engaged citizens in our democracy. However, few of them involve the arts. This fact is unfortunate because all forms of engagement with the arts is an important and effective means of achieving our civic engagement goals for students, communities, and institutions. This article explores the civic benefits of engagement with the arts and provides modes and examples of arts engagement. It offers implications for practice and resources for those of us who seek to promote social responsibility and engaged citizenship, whether we are most directly involved with the arts, civic and community engagement, or institutional leadership.