Civic Engagement for Students

What Is It?

Civic engagement is about taking action to improve communities and shape the future. It involves learning to look beyond oneself and actively consider the well-being and interests of others and one’s broader community. But it also goes beyond just shifts in thinking – civic engagement is about getting involved, whether through volunteering, advocacy, or community projects.

Not everything qualifies. For example, having a weekend job likely wouldn’t be considered civic engagement, but volunteering for an ocean clean-up or joining a peaceful protest would be. These actions happen in public spaces, often in collaboration with others.

A group of students volunteer their time to create educational materials, set up recycling bins throughout the school, and raise awareness among peers and teachers about the importance of reducing waste and promoting environmental responsibility.

Before young people vote or engage in meaningful civic action later in life, educators can support them in developing social responsibility – caring about others, fairness, civility, teamwork, and doing what’s right for the community, qualities also known as “civic character”. Beginning as early as preschool and growing throughout childhood and adolescence, key skills like empathy and emotion regulation support the development of social responsibility, which can ultimately influence civic engagement in adulthood.

A middle school teacher regularly engages students in discussions about current issues and encourages their participation in service projects that address climate change, social inequalities, or community challenges. This helps to foster students’ empathy and inspires them to integrate social responsibility as a key part of their identity and lifelong goals.

Many factors influence young people’s civic engagement, including a strong sense of identity, confidence in their abilities, and a connection to their community.

Schools can help to lay a foundation for civic engagement by helping students develop social responsibility and cultivate civic character, fostering virtues such as “civility, tolerance, service to others, volunteering, community awareness, and neighborliness.” Schools can also facilitate involvement in extracurriculars and community organizations and work to ensure that youth feel that their voices are being heard and respected.

Why Is It Important?

Civic engagement improves young people’s resilience and well-being.

Civic empowerment — feeling a sense of control and influence over society and one’s surroundings —is an important predictor of resilience and positive development for young people.
Civic engagement is associated with improved self-esteem and daily well-being, and negatively associated with psychological symptoms like anxiety and depression.
Civic engagement is also negatively associated with risk behaviors such as alcohol and drug use and violence.

Civic engagement increases school engagement and success.

Students with higher civic engagement tend to view school as more important and tend to be more involved in extracurriculars, leadership roles, and have higher GPAs.
Civic engagement is widely valued in shaping responsible citizens and is increasingly considered in college admissions and job evaluations.

Civic engagement may help students cope better with stress.

Being engaged with civic topics helps students feel empowered which positively influences their nervous system, potentially improving their reactions to stress.

Civic engagement promotes trust and is related to connectedness with others.

Students’ perceptions of their connection to others helps them feel more motivated and confident in their ability to make a positive impact.
Getting involved in one’s community is an important means for promoting trust and social cohesion.