Civic Engagement Initiative

Paul Loeb is the author of Soul of a Citizen: Living With Conviction in Challenging Times. In 2008 Loeb founded the Campus Election Engagement Project, a national nonpartisan student engagement effort that helped 500 colleges and universities engage their students in the election. Paul Rogat Loeb has spent thirty-five years researching and writing about citizen responsibility and empowerment. This book, more so a handbook, enables anyone who desires to make a change in the environment around them, leading them to get involved in larger communities. The book acknowledges that “it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and to become

Civic involvement and citizenship are common terms used interchangeably in order to describe individual responsibility in society. However, upon further evaluation, both words address different aspects of society itself. Citizenship can be understood as certain obligations, liberties, and privileges embodied by an individual; and civic involvement is the activities associated with those responsibilities. The following definition summarizes the broader scope of citizenship and civic involvement assumed in A Short History of Progress by Ronald Wright. In this book, Wright describes the progress of citizenship, and the perception that mankind gradually improves over time.

Civic engagement is extremely important to our state to stay aware of what is happening in our state. However, Texas also has a low rate of civic engagement. Being a part of something is a big advantage. You have support and your voice is more likely heard. According to TCHI “working in a community organization, donating, and being in charities is great ” (Texas 4). It is good to give to the community and let them know you care about the community. Another form of civic engagement would be writing to your elected officials. If, there is something wrong with your community that you want improvement in it is your responsibilities and freedom to talk to a representative to fix it! There is no shame on asking for something you deserve for the community.

Civic Engagement Fair: Reflection Essay Socrates once said, “Perfection is constant change”. We live in a world that is constantly changing from the economy to the technology to even our everyday lives. This constant change can be seen particularly through the political process. The Civic Engagement project reflected these changes immensely with differing parties and their platforms, the various ways individuals could participate in the political process and how people discover their own ideals.

When deciding what topic I wanted to write for my Civic Engagement Project, I already had in mind that I wanted something that most of us are not use to seeing nowadays. Many of us compare courts with punishment, but what if there was a court that did the opposite? When I was starting my research on the different courts we have here in Florida, I came across Drug Courts. The more I read up on drug courts, the more I became fascinated and intrigued. Drug courts do not aim to "PUNISH”, but yet to provide treatment to drug abusers. This kind of court believes that everyone deserves a second chance, that extra push. During my research, I was interested in learning a few things. Such things I 'd like to learn about this kind of

Civic Engagement is a necessary focus that many young adults overlook. It is about learning and knowing how to fight for one’s belief or a noble cause, and trying to bring about change to a social or political condition (Parisella, 2013). The Washington Center’s Civic Engagement Framework required some components such as attending two modules that addressed issues of public concern and strategies for citizen participation, a public policy dialogue, and direct service. The first two served as an educational purpose to teach students how to get involved and finally the direct service allowed the opportunity for students to take action and volunteer. Therefore, I wanted my civic engagement to relate to the hazardous things that humans are exposed

I had the pleasure to volunteer with Adopt a Rescue Pet with the most wonderful and passionate people for my civic engagement project. I also had the opportunity to work with the founder of the organization Elizabeth Davis Rubin. Not only did I had the chance to work with Elizabeth, but she also gave me the opportunity to come to her office to talk to her about the organization. I learn many things from this project, I got to see the behind the scenes of an organization and all the challenges they come across. On this small journey I also learn about the opportunities some employers give to their employees. After a casual conversation with my manager to request a Saturday off to be able to volunteer, he mentions The Suited for Service Program. Any employers that work with the Suited

Citizenship includes not only legal definitions or documents (whether they have them or not), but also the vernacular elements of citizenship that we recognize in social setting, such as ordinary language phrases, which acknowledge levels of citizenship, such as first-class versus second-class citizenship. In a democratic nation like America, the goal is to minimize second-class citizenship and have to first-class citizenship be available for all. This idea reaffirms that citizenship happens both in the relationships between citizens and the state and in the relationship among fellow citizens, whether they be in neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, or workplaces. These questions of citizenship include a sense of belonging, and of having a voice and being able to use it.

The data I will be analyzing comes from the United States Citizenship, Involvement (CID) Survey conducted in 2006. The survey was produced by Georgetown University’s Center for Democracy and Civil Society (CDACS) with an aim at illustrating “American civic engagement in comparative perspective” (Howard, Gibson, & Stolle, 2006, p.3).

Regarding the Stanford Pathways of Public Service and Civic Engagement survey, I have mixed feelings. Although I agree with my results and have minimal difficulty in making sense of my results, I feel that the information is not in-depth enough to truly be extremely helpful.

During the last century, American involvement toward civic are falling into a slump. This could mark a new era of history for democracy but the question is what happens when only about 5% of American will take part in civic. Since World II American civic engagement are greater and they are more likely to trust their government and community but over time the people trust is beginning fall. What could have caused this trust issue? Well, the problem here is over time the people begin to see a lot lies the government feed them, for an example, the Vietnam war was one of the reason that caused American reduce their trust the government as bomb the country with a lot of civilian casualties but the government only showed American the shooting part.

For a few days after I moved to DC, I wondered what actions I can do to illustrate the concept of “civic engagement.” I thought it was a broad term, maybe because I was not familiar with the American term. However, when I took the time to look over the exceptional amount of things I learned and done in Washington DC, it was easy to write this paper.

American youth, the demographic most important to America’s future, are often excluded from political processes and omitted from election ballots in just about every way. It is my mission as a Junior Statesman and a high school student to break this substandard negative trend, which tarnishes American democracy, by encouraging youth to become more politically active.

The message emerging from a recent research series on youth civic and political participation is clear: today's youth are not disjoined from associational and small political life, but they are increasingly disenchanted with formal political institutions and practices. Children and youth under 18 have made sententious strides in recent years toward fuller involvement in democratic processes. These strides,

Civic engagement should be a consistent activity within the African American community. It is simply ignorant to say, “civic engagement is not my responsibility.” As a country we all depend on each other to achieve our set destiny. As Dr. King suggested, we must come together and establish unity because “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.” Civic engagement has the power to reclaim and establish the identity of the African American community. The African proverb, “I am because we are and since we are therefore I am complete,” advises the community to form relationships. No one person is in the world alone, but instead everyone is in this together. These ideas urge my civic engagement because there is too much divide in the community. Human beings are interrelated, and when the African American community is bridged together the nation will benefit as a collective.