Civic Engagement and Volunteering

Civic engagement involves “working to make a difference in the civic life of one’s community and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes” (Erlich, 2000). Civic engagement includes both paid and unpaid forms of political activism, environmentalism, and community and national service (Michelson et al, 2002). Volunteering is one form of civic engagement.

Many of the nation’s volunteers are young people. More than half (59 percent) of teenagers in the United States reported that they participated in youth volunteer work in 2009, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service (2010). Most youth volunteers do so out of altruism and an interest in making in a difference in the lives of others, according to one survey. Only five percent of students reportedly volunteered because of a school requirement (Corporation for National and Community Service, 2005).

View References References

Corporation for National and Community Service. (2010a). Youth engaged in service. Retrieved from http://www.presidentialserviceawards.gov/yes/index.html

Corporation for National and Community Service. (2005). Building active citizens: The role of social institutions in teen volunteering. Brief 1 in the Youth Helping America series. Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/05_1130_LSA_YHA_study.pdf (PDF, 24 Pages)

Erlich, T. (2000). Civic responsibility and higher education. Westport, CT: Oryx Press.

Michelsen, E., Zaff, J. F., & Hair, E. C. (2002). Civic engagement programs and youth development: A synthesis. Washington, DC: Child Trends. Retrieved from http://www.childtrends.org/files/CivicEngagementProgramsandYouthDevelopment.pdf (PDF, 51 Pages)

Stone, B. & Edwards, H. (2008). National framework for 4-H Volunteerism. National 4-H Headquarters, Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Services, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved from http://www.national4-hheadquarters.gov/comm/Framework_4-H_Volunteerism082508.pdf (PDF, 10 Pages)

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	National Service Agency Announces 2012 King Day of Service Grants (Washington, D.C.) – The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) announced $700,000 in grants for six organizations to plan and carry out service projects to bring Americans together to meet community needs on the 2012 Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service.
	Report Shows Majority of Americans Civically Engaged in Their Communities (Washington, D.C., September 15, 2011) - Between 2008 and 2010, a majority of Americans were civically active in a variety of ways, working with others to improve their communities.
	25th Anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Unites Americans in National Day of Service Thousands of nonprofit, faith-based, educational, and national service groups in all 50 states led community projects on the day, including weatherizing homes, beautifying schools, serving meals, and providing employment counseling.
	Washington State Youth Take Civic Activism To New Level Non-academic barriers to learning, such as those facing Sierra, were the focus of a Civic Engagement Forum in February of 2009. This two-day event brought young people from dropout prevention and school health programs to advise the Washington State Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC).
	4-H Members Raise Awareness of Meningitis In Louisiana, 4-H youth took their civic engagement skills and put them towards something life changing—advocating and lobbying for meningitis prevention.