Civic Engagement Opportunities
Types of Civic Engagement
There are almost as many definitions of civic engagement as there are articles, books, and blogs about the topic. One that is well suited for purposes comes from Thomas Ehrlich in the Preface to the edited volume "Civic Responsibility and Higher Education":
"Civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities 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" (p. vi).
What might that look like in practice? Here are some ways generated from research and from the Integrating Civic Engagement in the Classroom Workshop CSUN Professor John Kephart hosted.
- Knowledgeable voting, including issue research and candidate positions
- Attending community meetings
- Being informed about and engaging with policy decisions
- Studying and advocating for environmental impact statements
- Mentoring/community education
- Protest/civil disobedience
- Volunteering
- News literacy
- Attending public talks and community events
- Participating in town halls
- Creating community dialogue around issues important to those communities
- Developing an awareness of sociopolitical and structural factors in policy creation, resource distribution, or community action
- Joining advocacy groups around specific issues
- Art projects/photo essays
- Writing letters to the editor, community newsletters, or neighborhood apps
- Write a blog
- Hold government/regulatory agencies accountable by following up on laws or reporting violations
- Lobby an elected representative or community group
- Hold voter information sessions with family/community
- Fundraising
- Evaluating resource availability/distribution (housing, clothing, services)
- Mobilizing allies (e.g.: undocumented students mobilizing friends to vote even if they can’t)
Questions to ask yourself
|
We definitely encourage you to regularly devote to community service such as by starting a club. However, you can also look for opportunities that only occur sporadically, such as planning special events or helping raise funds for a cause. |
Is there a specific group of people or cause you are passionate about? Look for projects that relate to your passion and interests. You may also just want to perform particular community service activities that allow you to do hobbies you enjoy, like baking or acting, and that's fine too. |
|
Some people prefer to participate in community service activities that have a quantifiable impact, for example, activities where you know the specific number of kids you tutored, dollars you raised, or cans of food you collected. Some people prefer quantifiable activities because they feel they look stronger on college applications, or because they simply enjoy knowing their exact impact on the community. |
Many community service activities can help you gain skills. These skills can range from teaching to medicine to construction and more. If there is a particular skill you'd like to learn for future classes, jobs, or just out of personal interest, you may want to identify or create the project surrounding this. |
Do you want a reoccurring or a one-time community service activity?
Who would you like to help?
What kind of impact do you want to have?
What skills would you like to gain?
Explore these resources!
We've created this below platform for you to share civic engagement ideas and opportunities.
Comment, like, and use the pink plus sign at the right bottom corner to add your own ideas!
🚀 A little overwhelmed by all the information?
➡️ Select "Next" below to learn how to critically analyze civic information!