Gazette.net
December 9, 2010
Opportunity for growth highlighted, however by Sarah Breitenbach | Staff Writer The rate of civic involvement among Marylanders is above the national average, but leaves room for improvement, according to a report released Wednesday by the Civic Literacy Commission. The Civic Health Index ranks Marylanders ahead of the rest of the nation in volunteerism and political engagement, but Brad Rourke, president of the Mannakee Circle Group, the consulting firm that conducted the study, said people who live in the state could do more considering the economic and educational strength of Maryland. The Civic Literacy Commission was created by the legislature in 2007 and charged with developing programs to educate students about civic involvement and creating resources for educators to teach those lessons. ”You would think we’re a little further ahead than we are,” Rourke said. ”We’re solidly above average, but we’re not ahead of the pack.” Broken down by service and volunteering, group participation, connecting to information, social connections, political action and cultural and class dimensions of diversity, the report recommends further study of civic involvement, as this is the first time the state actively has looked at how people participate in government and volunteerism. During their meeting, commission members heard from a panel of experts who analyzed the elements of the report. Barbara Reynolds, director for the governor’s office on volunteerism, said she was pleased with results of the study but would like it to include recommendations for state monetary support for volunteer recruitment efforts. ”It takes an amazing amount of work to make that happen, it’s not natural,” Reynolds said of the work of nonprofits to recruit volunteers.