DEEPENING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

UNDERSTANDING THE RANGE OF CIVIC TOOLS

How do we go about helping students see the connection between mapping, dialogues and other civic action? One way to do this is to help students understand the full range of democratic strategies or approaches (which we label as “civic tools”) available to people in a democracy.

In the Dialogue Toolkit, there is some information about how students can assess dialogues and think about possible action steps in light of these civic tools. Civic tools include:

Informational
Becoming informed
Informing others (Organizing Informational campaigns)

Contributions
Contributing Money
Contributing Materials
Contributing Time – direct service
Contributing Blood

Altering lifestyles
Economic boycotts
Environmental behaviors
Changing social patterns

Using One’s Voice
Voting
Writing/Calling Representatives/media
Petitioning

Taking an Active Stand (Proactive)
Serving as an advocate/campaigning for
Lobbying
Publishing
Running for Office

Taking an Active Stand (Reactive)
Protesting
Rebelling

It is important for students (and people supporting them) to take the time following dialogues to think seriously of next steps. If the dialogue is co-sponsored with a community organization, student organization or another office on campus, this reflective process should also be collaborative.

For example, a student dialogue on “The needs of children in our community” identifies as an issues inadequate park space for children in the area around the campus. A group of students uses their understanding of the civic tools to create a multi-faceted strategy that includes:

• Informing the larger community of the issue through stories in the campus and city newspaper
• Mounting a letter writing campaign and/or a petition to city council members;
• Lobbying city council members by visiting them and presenting factual data,
• And, if all else fails, organizing a march with families in the neighborhood with the press invited to bring political pressure to bear.