Many civic health statistics show Millennials to be the least engaged generation, but Tarsi Dunlop sees a number of promising trends both in the data, and from her own observations. In this week’s guest feature, she highlights stories from the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network.
What stories do you believe best illustrate the state of Millennial engagement in America?
What most distinguishes Millennials from other generations is the type of community activities in which they are involved.
The findings of a new CIRCLE study, ”Youth Civic Engagement in the United States, 2008–2010: Understanding a Diverse Generation,” shatter stereotypes and dispel conventional myths about the ways in which young people ages 18–29 are involved in the United States political system.
Last night, like the rest of the world, I sat glued to my television screen watching President Obama announce the death of Public Enemy Number 1—Osama Bin Laden. Immediately preceding and following the speech, I also saw footage of people gathering and cheering in front of the White House, a building 6 blocks from my apartment. Like many, these images gave me great pause.
After some time of reflection, I realized what I witnessed last night was not a celebration of death, but of life, service, perseverance, and hope.
Virginia Gazette November 9, 2010 WILLIAMSBURG — A study released Monday by the Colonial Williamburg Foundtion and Montpelier finds Virginia’s youngest voters less informed about our system of government and less engaged in both the political system and in their…
USA Today February 24, 2010 Study: Millennial generation more educated, less employed By Sharon Jayson, USA TODAY Published February 24, 2010 The most detailed study to date of the 18- to 29-year-old Millennial generation finds this group probably will be…
NCoC, Youth Service America, Mobilize.org and others have joined the “Rebuilding from Devastation” campaign, championed by our friends at Splashlife. In addition to spearheading a national campaign to rally attention, donations, and volunteers, Splashlife deployed a three–member video crew to Tuscaloosa, Alabama earlier this week to document and support the efforts to bring hope and service to storm–ravaged communities. Through blogs, videos, and interviews, the “Rebuilding from Devastation” campaign will highlight stories of perseverance and service as volunteers and citizens across the American South band together to rebuild communities and individual spirits.
Stereotypically, Millennials are characterized as engaged, while their sibiling generation, Generation X is classified as apathetic. But statistically, this engagement gap could be questioned.
Both the generations are calling for increased transparency, accountability, and corporate social responsibility, and each are meeting community needs in their own ways. Does this suggest current engagement rates of both the pre-mid-life generations in America actually demonstrate both a call for public attention and a personal stake in increasing civic health?
The Corporation for National and Community Service announced a $570,000 grant to CIRCLE at the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Public Service at Tufts University. The grant will support CIRCLE in building an online community that college students throughout the greater Boston area will use to pool information, deliberate, and coordinate their service and activism.
It’s a chance for young people to come together and ease the political gridlock in Washington.