In the Words of Youth: The Meaning of Public Engagement

• In Event: Democratic Citizenship in Education 2

Abstract

My study explores how students attending the César Chávez School for Public Policy (Chávez), an urban charter school committed to educating for democratic responsibility, describe their civic experiences, roles, identities, and responsibilities. I interview students and alumni about their experiences and find that youth from this school define public engagement as political. My findings suggest that students who attend a school focused on public policy tend to talk about and engage in political action in three ways: influencing government, voting, and educating themselves and educating others. I argue that a school program that teaches political skills and recruits students into the political process may help develop youth who are politically active in their future.

Author

• Pamela J. Gordon, Harvard University