The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), based within Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, has spent more than two decades researching barriers within youth civic engagement.
Founded at the University of Maryland’s (UMD) School of Public Policy in 2001, before moving to Tufts in 2008, CIRCLE is a nonpartisan research organization working to understand how young people learn about and participate in civic life. Communications Manager Alberto Medina said CIRCLE is a “research-to-action center” as their goal is to do research on youth civic engagement in partnership with other organizations that look to change K-12 civic education or change how young people consume media.
“Our vision is to eliminate those barriers and build communities, institutions, and a society that gives every single young person the preparation and opportunity to become an agent of change in their communities, to engage civically, and use their voice to exercise power in our democracy,” Medina said.
Medina said the CIRCLE has a broad definition of civic engagement including voting but also extending to serving on school boards, writing to elected officials, participating in boycotts, or working with neighbors to solve local problems.
“It’s going to look different for every young person depending on their interest and the things they care about,” Medina said.
Medina also added all of their data is found on their website rather than in academic research. But the research is completed by people with doctorates, theoretical backgrounds and general academic preparation.
Specifically, Medina highlighted data relating to youth voting trends, geography, and young people’s relationship with democracy.
Medina said CIRCLE has partnerships with other organizations in which they share their findings and use this data to directly connect with audiences.
Data Scientist Manager at CIRCLE Katie Hilton attended the national High School Voting Summit at UMD hosted by the News Voter Collaborative, a nonpartisan coalition of over 30 organizations increasing the voting participation and civic engagement of high school students nationwide, and the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement at UMD, an organization working to have the UMD community “strengthen democracy.”
CIRCLE stated at the summit Hilton learned how voter education and civic engagement efforts in schools teaching students to register to vote lead them to understand why their vote matters. At another conference called the New Voter Research Network Conference, CIRCLE Associate Director of Research Kelly Siegel-Stechler presented research regarding how developing a youth voice in high school leads to citizens who are more likely to vote.
But CIRCLE also hosts their own learning opportunities regarding civic engagement of young people living in rural areas or who are not college or working — both groups less likely to be civically engaged.
Last summer, Deputy Director Abby Kiesa and Researcher Ruby Belle Booth, held a workshop at the Opportunity Youth Forum in Boston bringing together hundreds of leaders from 40 urban, rural and tribal communities. CICRLE stated the goal of the forum was to build pathways achieving better education, employment and overall outcomes for youth in all areas.
Kiesa and Booth also traveled to Keystone SMILES, a local community nonprofit, for their retreat in Clarion County, Pennsylvania. Keystone SMILES is also one of the organizations developing an action plan created by CIRCLE with the Rural Assembly, an organization advocating for an equitable nation in rural areas, called the Rural Youth Catalyst Project. The project works to "strengthen and create” opportunities allowing rural and Native youth to “realize their hopes and dreams” while remaining or returning to their communities.
CIRCLE also directly connects with youth leaders and organizers. Booth also presented at the Our Generation Electoral Justice Summit held in Phoenix by Generation Vote, an organization working towards the right to vote and democracy for all. CIRCLE stated she shared research on the youth electorate like who they are, barriers they face, view on democracy, and how society can work toward a democracy equitably serving young people.
Looking ahead, Medina said CIRCLE’s long-term goals are eliminating the voter turnout gap between young people and older adults within youth populations across race, gender, and educational background. Medina added over the next decade, the organization plans to expand their research and incorporate more input from young people in its work.
“We don’t believe we can have a healthy, representative democracy if young people are voting at lower rates than older adults,” Medina said.
Maggie Rhoads is a student journalist attending George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs. At The Fulcrum, she covers how legislation and policy are impacting communities.
Maggie was a cohort member in Common Ground USA's Journalism program, where Hugo Balta served as an instructor. Balta is the executive editor of the Fulcrum, and the publisher of the Latino News Network.
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