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- Title
CIVIC OUTREACH PROGRAMS: COMMON MODELS, SHARED CHALLENGES, AND STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS.
- Authors
MCNABB, LAURA
- Abstract
Civic engagement is the cornerstone of our democracy, yet Americans consistently demonstrate pervasive civic deficits. Such deficits are particularly concerning in light of a growing body of evidence documenting the many benefits that civic education bestows on individual citizens and society at large. Despite these benefits, our national commitment to civic learning within the education system has continued to decline over the past fifty years, pushing civic education to the periphery of an increasingly narrow curriculum. In response to these three trends--an ongoing civic deficit, declining national support for civic education, and increasing awareness of the benefits of civic literacy--there has been a proliferation of civic outreach programs aimed at increasing civic literacy among American citizens. Because these programs are numerous and diverse, this Essay proposes two models for categorizing civic outreach programs based on what services they offer and to whom these services are provided. Although a wide array of civic outreach programs is desirable, this Essay argues that programs that provide services to actors in K-12 educational institutions are best equipped to offset the current civic deficit. However, such programs face two shared challenges that threaten their ability to effectuate meaningful improvements in civic literacy: (1) identifying and measuring outcomes, and (2) ensuring program sustainability. After exploring the causes of these shared challenges, this Essay offers strategic recommendations.
- Subjects
UNITED States; CIVICS education; OUTREACH programs; DEMOCRACY &; education; EDUCATION of Americans; INTERCOLLEGIATE Studies Institute Inc.; COLLEGE students; UNITED States. Dept. of Education
- Publication
Denver University Law Review, 2013, Vol 90, Issue 4, p871
- ISSN
0883-9409
- Publication type
Essay