From Global Knowledge to Global Civic Engagement

Abstract

Preparing students to be “global citizens” has increasingly become a goal shared by many colleges and universities across the country. This movement coincides with a renewed interest across college campuses in promoting and advancing civic engagement. While the goals of both initiatives are designed to promote responsible citizenship, there are few efforts to merge global learning and civic engagement. Saint Louis University (SLU) has tried to meet this challenge through the ongoing development of its annual, campus-wide Atlas Program. This paper describes and analyzes the development and evolution of this program and its progress in promoting global education and global civic engagement. This paper is intended to build on the civic engagement literature in the area of global civic engagement and highlight potential synergies with campus internationalization initiatives.