Civic engagement is a deeply ingrained American value. One of its components is community service, a popular way of inspiring youth to become active participants in community life. Research on civic engagement is scarce, however, and so, for this literature review, the author examined several bodies of literature, including those on social capital and youth development.
The research showed that civic engagement has several characteristics that make it a promising strategy for youth development, including:
- Civic engagement in youth leads to civic engagement later on in life.
- Civic engagement can promote youths' intellectual, psychological, emotional, and social outcomes, by shaping a positive and productive self-concept, teaching planning and decision-making skills, and enhancing self-regulation skills and sense of responsibility.
- Programs that teach students the skills of civic engagement and give students opportunities to practice those skills seem to have greater long-term impact than programs that do not emphasize those skills.
- Personal recruitment plays an important role in civic engagement; being asked to participate stimulates participation.
The literature concludes that the time may be ripe for youth-serving agencies to take advantage of and help develop new forms of civic engagement and social capital.
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