The Impact of an Action Civics Program on the Community & Political Engagement of Youth

Abstract

This study present findings related to students’ community and political engagement and activism after participation in an action civics institute. The institute, iEngage, is a weeklong summer experience for rising fifth through rising ninth graders that utilizes the action civics inquiry cycle to foster civic skills and cultivate participation and engagement in one’s community. Through this 4-year longitudinal quantitative study, researchers evaluated youth participants’ abilities, competencies, and experiences related to three civic constructs: community engagement, political engagement, and political activism. Results from the study show effective increases in students’ participation within each of the three respective constructs and provide promising alternatives to the conventional teaching and learning of civics education.