Charlotte Observer
November 5, 2010
Here’s something to chew on after the conclusion of the 2010 campaign Tuesday and the first faint beginnings of the 2012 campaign: North Carolina’s young adults – those born since 1981 who comprise the future leaders of state and local governments and key civic groups – are the least engaged of any Tar Heel age group. Most of the civic organizations that directly affect life in our communities – the social and voluntary organizations that make things work in villages, towns and cities – are run by a small, homogenous group of older, white, college-educated residents involved with religious organizations.
This may not come as a news flash. But it ought to concern those who believe every level of our society has a role to play in civic engagement, including not only younger North Carolinians but also Hispanics and African-Americans.
The N.C. Civic Health Index found that on five key measures of participation in civic life, the younger generation was the least likely to volunteer in the past year, work with neighbors to address a problem in the community, take part in a non-electoral political act, contribute $25 or more or, among eligible voters, to have voted, as Tuesday’s low youth turnout showed.
This lack of civic engagement has implications for what kind of state North Carolina will become. It also notes that state and local groups miss out on an opportunity to benefit from the strengths of citizens without college experience but who "are notably more likely to have strong personal connections to family and friends and to help their neighbors."
The report, compiled by civic organizations working with the UNC Chapel Hill School of Government and Western Carolina University’s Department of Public Policy, makes several recommendations:
Policymakers should find ways to promote informed participation in elections, ensure that young people learn about local, state and federal governments and civics in schoolrooms and recruit and mentor a diverse group of leaders.
Teachers in K-12 should engage their students in the democratic process, such as simulations of legislative sessions, incorporate discussions of current events in their classes, provide opportunities for leadership and engage in service learning outside the classroom.
Colleges can also promote service learning, offer leadership development preparing students for roles locally, statewide or nationally, and encourage students to register, attend candidate forums and cast informed votes.
And community organizations should recruit diverse volunteers, offer leadership programs and seek more diverse representation on boards.
At a time when the state’s civic leadership has been tarnished by misconduct, the report’s recommendations are welcome – and worth embracing.