- Civic Engagement
- Core Concepts
- Civic Engagement at the Library
- The Roles of the Library
- Assets
- Our Changing Communities
- Civic Engagement And Connected Learning
- Civic Engagement in Action
- Community Interests And Priorities
- Tools for Designing Civic Engagement Services
- Topics to Spark Ideas
- Additional Resources
Core Concepts
What is civic engagement? We focus on two definitions among the many that exist.
Definition 1: Civic engagement is “deliberate, consistent, and purposeful outreach that creates an environment in which people of all ages and from all backgrounds believe they have a voice and role in decisions and actions that affect their lives.”
— Urban Library Council: Civic Engagement
Definition 2: “Civic engagement means… promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes.”
—Civic Responsibility and Higher Education1
Let’s break this down. Civic engagement is:
Political and non-political
There’s a tendency to assume that civic engagement is about participating in political activities, such as advocating for particular policies or issues for government action, whether at the local or national level. Certainly civic engagement encompasses political action, but the critical distinction is that political action is just one form of civic engagement. Civic engagement is a broader concept that allows us to think of the many ways we can create change in our communities.
Built on community service
Activities such as volunteering at a soup kitchen or cleaning up a park are valuable and can foster a community mindset. Civic engagement builds on this enthusiasm by involving people in sustained efforts to make lasting change in the community.
Agency to shape one’s own path
Civic engagement is about empowering individuals to follow their own passions and develop their own initiatives. While a passion for a cause may be sparked by participating in a community service project, civic engagement focuses on increasing the colelctive effort of a community through highlighting the voice and agency of the individual.
Deliberate
Civic engagement activities go deeper than community service projects, and emphasize working on the causes of issues rather than only their symptoms. For instance, why is food security an issue for people in the community? A civic engagement program builds on people’s interest in hunger (e.g. volunteering at soup kitchen) to identify the underlying reasons, imagine a community where hunger were eliminated, and develop programs to achieve that end goal.
Consistent
Prolonged engagement is key for meaningful civic engagement. Youth feel a sense of purpose and accomplishment when they have an opportunity to work on an issue over time. Civic engagement programs with the library can effectively channel youth interests.
Equitable
Civic engagement seeks to include all parts of a community from a place of empowerment. While initiatives may sometimes focus on specific segments, making sure all voices are heard is crucial to create meaningful civic action.
Quality of life
Civic engagement is focused on quality of life - for the public. It’s about creating the type of community that improves people’s lives.
Example: Reviving an Art Center
When her local art center was structurally damaged, young Breanna Burkhead decided to work with her community to raise the funds and the awareness to build a new, open center in her town in rural Kentucky. Watch the short video showcasing her story below, and notice the project has all the signs of a civic engagement initiative:
- Political and non-political: This effort to open the art center wasn’t necessarily political
- Broader than community service: Breanna is trying to create lasting change in her community through the art center
- Agency: Breanna found her voice and turned it into a force for change
- Deliberate: Focused on restoring and rebuilding the art center
- Consistent: This required prolonged action over an extended period of time.
- Equitable: The art center is open to all, and serves as an outlet for members of the community to express themselves
- Quality of life: The art center enhances the quality of life for the entire community.
Example: Creating a Community Garden
The School Yards Roots project in Tuscaloosa, Alabama is another example. The School Yards Roots project website showcases how combining “project-based learning, outdoor exploration, and nutrition education” embodies the principles of civic engagement.
Final note
Does civic engagement need to have all of the above attributes? Ideally, yes. But don’t be overwhelmed. Civic engagement can be meaningful and powerful at different levels. Also, big acts often start small. Think of the attributes along a spectrum. The stronger each attribute the better. The more attributes the better.
Activity #1: Civic Care Scavenger Hunt
Every community has examples of people working to make a difference. They may be single acts of caring, groups of people performing community service, or possibly more ambitious projects like the above examples.
For this activity:
Collect pictures of people working to make a difference in your community. Collect as many as you can! The goal is to find examples of people doing things for the community that they care about. Don’t worry about trying to fit the definition perfectly. You’ll likely find many simple acts of care that can serve as sources of inspiration.
Arrange the pictures and add brief descriptions if needed. Digital whiteboards like Jamboard are an especially useful tool for doing so.
Inspiration - Here are some examples from the libraries that helped build this module.
Discuss with your library staff or community members:
- What makes each picture an example of civic care? Which attributes of civic engagement are most present? Which are absent?
- What do these examples say about your community?
- Are there any interest areas that rise to the top?
Later in the module you’ll have an opportunity to take one (or more) of the examples and work through how you would turn it into a civic engagement program at the library.