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What is Civic Engagement? Exploring New 

Paradigms

March 15, 2023

2 AmeriCorps Office of Research and Evaluation
Welcome & Introductions

Andrea Robles, PhD 

Research and Evaluation Manager, AmeriCorps

3
To support AmeriCorps’ mission, the Office of Research and 

Evaluation (ORE):

Conducts 

research and 

builds scholarship 

on civic 

engagement

Identifies 

national service 

and 

volunteering 

trends

Measures 

national service 

impact 

Promotes 

evidencebased models 

and program 

expansion

Knowledge and evidence can be used to improve the service 

experience, and strengthen organizations and communities
Identifies national service and volunteering trends

National level 

civic engagement 

and volunteering 

In 2002, 

AmeriCorps 

sponsors a 

volunteering 

supplement in the 

Current Population 

Survey

Is 26% a magic 

number in the US?

National 

Academies of 

Science (NAS)

5
To improve the understanding of civic engagement, social cohesion 

and social capital

NAS Recommended different 

measurement approaches:

Tap into more complex 

relationships among 

the topics 

To address these 

recommendations, ORE 

launched: 

 

Conduct more 

research of 

these topics 

at the 

subnational or 

local levels

Use 

experimental, 

in-depth and 

longitudinal 

studies 

Research 

Grant 

competition

with 

universities 

Local level 

research: with 

Participatory 

Research 

approaches
Today’s speakers:

7

• Laura Hanson Schlachter, PhD, research analyst, 

AmeriCorps

• Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, PhD, Newhouse director, 

Center for Information and Research on Civic 

Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE),Tisch College of 

Civic Life, Tufts University

• Penn Loh, director of the Master of Public Policy 

Program and Community Practice, Tufts University
Laura Hanson Schlachter, PhD 

Research Analyst, AmeriCorps

8
What’s the first thing that 

comes to mind when 

you think about civic 

engagement?

9
How does the AmeriCorps Office of Research and Evaluation 

define civic engagement?

10

The constellation of activities individuals engage in to 

make a difference in their communities. 

Civic engagement includes participation within and beyond 

electoral politics at all geographic levels. Volunteerism is a 

prominent example of civic engagement, but it also includes 

activities like attending public meetings, belonging to 

organizations, and neighbors doing favors for each other.
Key constructs in the 2021 CPS Civic Engagement and 

Volunteering Supplement (CEV)

Organizational 

engagement

Formal volunteering

Organizational 

membership

Charitable giving

Local collective 

action

Attending public 

meetings

Taking action with 

neighbors

Economic 

engagement

Pursuing civic goals via 

the workplace

Values-based buying or 

boycotting

Informal helping 

and conversation

Exchanging favors with 

neighbors

Talking with family, 

friends, neighbors

Engaging with 

issues

Learning about issues

Discussing issues with 

family, friends, 

neighbors, and online

Political 

engagement

Voting in local elections

Contacting public 

officials

Political donations

11
The CPS Civic Engagement and Volunteering Supplement

12

2002-2015 CPS Volunteering 

Supplement fielded annually

2008-2013 CPS Civic Engagement 

Supplement fielded annually*

2014 National Academies of Science 

report recommends merging these 

surveys

2017 Launch of biennial CPS Civic 

Engagement and Volunteering (CEV) 

Supplement

•

•

•

•
Insights from the 2021 CEV

13

• What types of civic engagement are most 

prevalent?

• How did civic engagement change during the 

pandemic?

• How does civic engagement vary depending on 

where people live and who they are?
National Rates of Civic Engagement Behaviors, 2021 

Talking with friends and family 96.3% 

Learning about issues 83.4% 

Discussing issues with friends and family 69.3% 

Talking with neighbors 68.8% 

Voting in local elections 56.2% 

Informal helping 50.9% 

Charitable giving 48.1% 

Volunteering or donating through employer 35.5% 

Discussing issues with neighbors 30.2% 

Organizational membership 23.8% 

Formal volunteering 23.2% 

Posting views online 20.9% 

Taking action with neighbors 18.0% 

Values-based buying or boycotting 17.1% 

Contacting public officials 9.5% 

Donating to a political cause 9.4% 

Attending public meetings 8.2% 

14 
Frequency of Most Prevalent Civic Behaviors Nationally, 2021 

Talking with friends and family Learning about issues 

Discussing issues with friends and family Talking with neighbors 

15 

60% 

50% 

40% 

30% 

20% 

10% 

0% 

Not at all Less than once Once a month A few times a A few times a Basically every 

a month month week day 
National Rates of Civic Engagement Behaviors, 2021 

Talking with friends and family 96.3% 

Learning about issues 83.4% 

Discussing issues with friends and family 69.3% 

Talking with neighbors 68.8% 

Voting in local elections 56.2% 

Informal helping 50.9% 

Charitable giving 48.1% 

Volunteering or donating through employer 35.5% 

Discussing issues with neighbors 30.2% 

Organizational membership 23.8% 

Formal volunteering 23.2% 

Posting views online 20.9% 

Taking action with neighbors 18.0% 

Values-based buying or boycotting 17.1% 

Contacting public officials 9.5% 

Donating to a political cause 9.4% 

Attending public meetings 8.2% 

16 
How did civic engagement 

change during the COVID-19 

pandemic?

17
Civic engagement behaviors with no substantial national rate 

change, 2019-2021

Organizational 

engagement

Formal volunteering

Organizational 

membership

Local collective 

action

Taking action with 

neighbors

Economic 

engagement

Pursuing civic goals via 

the workplace*

Informal helping 

and conversation

Exchanging favors with 

neighbors

Talking with family, 

friends, neighbors

Engaging with 

issues

Learning about issues

Discussing issues with 

family, friends, 

neighbors, and online

Political 

engagement

Voting in local elections

Contacting public 

officials

Political donations

18
19

Civic Engagement Behaviors with Substantial National Rate 

Change, 2019-2021

Formal

volunteering

Organizational

membership

Charitable

giving

Attending

public

meetings

Taking action

with neighbors

Values-based

buying or

boycotting

Voting in local

elections

-6.8%

-3.3%

-2.4% -2.2% -2.6%

2.3%

3.6%
Substantial declines in organizational engagement and 

local collective action rates during the pandemic

20

National Rates of Organizational 

Engagement

2019 2021

National Rates of Local Collective 

Action

2019 2021

30% 23% 27% 24%

50% 48%

Formal

volunteering

Organizational

membership

Charitable

giving

10% 8%

21% 18%

Attending public

meetings

Taking action with

neighbors
Relative stability in other forms of civic engagement

21
How does civic engagement 

vary depending on where 

people live and who they are?

22
23

Relative stability at both national and state level

Change in State-Level Rate of Contacting Public Officials, 

2019-2021

-10%

-8%

-6%

-4%

-2%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

MO

PA NJ MN CT VT WI

NM NC HI OH KS LA VA RI AL WA DC KY UT IA DE AR FL TX OR MD CA SD WV

WY AK SC IN NH IL TN MS GA MI ND

AZ ME MA OK CO NE MT NV

NY

ID
24

Substantial state-level change despite national stability

Change in State-Level Rate of Posting Views Online, 2019-2021

AK

VA OK

WV

ME MO

WY AZ AL

HI IL UT

WI NH LA MT

NM SD WACO GA

IN VT PA KS NY ND FL OR MS MI TN KY MD CT MA AR NE NJ

ID NC CA OH NV TX

MN RI

SC

DE

IA DC

-10%

-8%

-6%

-4%

-2%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%
Educational attainment

25
Consistent relationship between education and civic 

engagement

26

Select National 2021 Civic Engagement Rates by Education

Talking with neighbors Learning about issues Values-based buying or boycotting

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Less than high

school

High school

graduate

Some college,

no degree

Associate

degree,

occupational

Associate

degree,

academic

Bachelor's

degree

Graduate

degree
Gender

27
Relatively larger decline in volunteering among women

28

Change in Organizational Engagement Rates by Gender, 

2019 to 2021

Female Male

Formal Volunteering Organizational Membership Charitable Giving

-8.1%

-3.7%

-2.6%

-5.4%

-2.9%

-2.2%
Age and generation

29
Consistent relationship between age and civic engagement 

30

Select National 2021 Civic Engagement Rates by Age

Contacting public officials Charitable giving Talking with neighbors

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

16 to 17 18 to 24 25 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 59 60 to 69 70 to 79 80 to 84 85 and

over
One exception to generational trends: posting views online

31

National Engaging with Issues Rates by Generation, 2021 

Generation Z Millennials Generation X Baby Boomers Silent Generation or older

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Learning about issues Discussing issues with

friends and family

Discussing issues with

neighbors

Posting views about issues

online
Civic engagement

takes many forms.

32
THANK YOU

For questions about the CEV, please contact 

AmeriCorpsCEV@cns.gov

33
Youth Civic and Political Engagement

Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, Ph.D.

Newhouse director of CIRCLE AmeriCorps webinar

March 15, 2023
Sharing + Discussing Online and Broader Engagement
Youth Share Views Online in Various Ways
How Youth Stay Informed

• Overall: younger people use far less 

“legacy” media

• Low levels of trust in media and 

institutions (Knight Foundation, 2023; CIRCLE, 2023)

• GenZs (compared to Millennials)

• Show heavier reliance on family, friends, 

and school

• Information from social media –

messenger matters (family, teachers, 

classmates)

• Only 11% go directly to print media and 

8% to podcasts
Social Media Creation and Interaction Drive Action

• Engaged young people play an active role as information mediators, helping peers 

sort through and talk about complex and often confusing news and information.

• Research shows “talking

about issues,” 

not just getting

information, drives youth

• Visual (social) 

media creation has the 

potential to narrow racial

disparities 

in engagement
How Youth Engage Today 

Broad and Creative Forms of Expression and Participation
Youth Movements → Paths to Many Forms of Engagement

YOUTH INVOLVED IN A 

SOCIAL MOVEMENT WERE...
COVID-19 Pandemic and Helping “Internet Strangers”

• During the 

COVID-19 

pandemic, young 

people still 

helped others, 

even people they 

didn’t know

• High % also say 

they’d engage in 

civic activities if 

they have the 

opportunity
Young Adults Need More Support to be Invited to Serve

• Young adult volunteering 

rates have been consistently 

low, potentially due to...

o lack of institution- supported formal 

opportunities

o Lack of awareness about 

the need and how to 

engage with 

organizations

o Life transitions 

and mobility

o Low trust in institutions
Youth Are Interested; Need to See Opportunities
Young people Are Motivated to Participate and Lead

• A vast majority believe in their 

collective power as a generation

• Political involvement is a major 

pathway to civic efficacy 

• Low-income youth, politically 

unaffiliated youth and youth with 

less formal education are more likely 

to be disengaged across indicators
Young People See Both Challenges and Hopes for Democracy
What Might Help Build Civic Readiness?

Effective, Equitable, and Comprehensive Civic Learning
Capacity to Consume and Share Information Responsibly
Lack of Connections to Civic Life = Disaffection
Fundamental Knowledge about Political and Civic Institutions

Foundational civic 

knowledge empowers 

young people to take 

steps to improve 

communities by 

connecting with 

institutions and 

stakeholders.

Large disparities persist.
K-12 Schools Can Help Support Civic Learning and Engagement

Opportunities

• Civic learning in adolescence

predicts later civic engagement

• Experiential civic learning across 

disciplines enhances content learning

• Extracurricular student associations 

build civic skills and habits

• Increase in federal funding support for 

civics and field-wide initiatives for 

better quality

Threats and Challenges

• Legislative actions against 

experiential learning

• Legislative actions that can reduce 

opportunities for critical thinking 

• Lack of understanding and support 

among the general public and the 

“chilling effect” on teaching 
Thank you!

Kei KawashimaGinsberg

Newhouse Director

CIRCLE at Tufts University

Contact Me + CIRCLE

Email:

circle@tufts.edu

Website:

https://circle.tufts.edu

Social Media:

@civicyouth
Penn Loh

Director of the Master of Public Policy Program and 

Community Practice, Tufts University

52
Penn Loh

Tufts University

Department of Urban & 

Environmental Policy & 

Planning

March 15, 2023

MUTUAL AID AS 

CIVIC 

ENGAGEMENT
CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES FOR 

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IN COVID PANDEMIC

• Americorps-funded action research 

with 8 community-based organizations 

in Boston area

• CBOs pivoted during pandemic to fill 

critical gaps and reach most vulnerable

CIVIC 

ENGAGEMENT

Government 

processes

Advocacy 

and 

Organizing

Community 

Building

Mutual Aid
PANDEMIC RESPONSE IN 

CHELSEA, MA

• Population of 40,000

• Mostly immigrant, Latinx

• Frontline low-wage workers

• Overcrowded housing

• Overburdened by pollution

• Hardest hit by COVID at start of 

pandemic

• Achieved some of the highest 

rates of vaccination amongst 

working class immigrant 

communities in US
CHELSEA CBOS CATALYZE 

CIVIC ACTION AND 

COLLABORATION

• The week before COVID shutdown, 

GreenRoots convened a call with 15 

stakeholders to begin coordinating emergency 

response amongst community, nonprofit, and 

governmental partners. That group continued 

meeting for the next 65 consecutive days and 

became the Chelsea Pandemic Response 

Team with 75 people and 10 working groups. 

• Greenroots and La Colaborativa sent health 

ambassadors out into the streets to meet 

people where they are at and in their own 

languages. Countered false information on 

vaccines using social media and person-to- person communication.
PANDEMIC INNOVATIONS IN 

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

New England United for Justice:

Wellness to Organizing Model

• When the pandemic prevented going 

door-to-door, they began to do 

wellness calls to residents. In the first 

year, they made calls to 85,000 people, 

holding more than 5000 conversations.

• “It’s not just about getting the service. If 

they sign up for rental assistance, they 

hear about housing justice. If filing for 

unemployment, they hear about 

worker’s rights and the struggles. This is 

a vehicle to continue our organizing.”
EAST BOSTON MUTUAL AID

• Neighbors United for a Better East Boston set up 

system of block leaders to check on neighbors. 

Started a WhatsApp network for mutual aid, with 

300 people active.

• Mutual Aid Eastie grew to deliver 5000 meals per 

week. 

• Tried to ensure reciprocity and overcome a 

“culture of service-ism”.

• All participants required to do an orientation and 

sign up with a WhatsApp mutual aid chat, to 

match offers and needs.

• “We had to redefine it as reciprocity and being in 

relationship with each other. It’s saying I have 

enough. Our folks say I don’t have anything to give, 

yet our people were saying I made tamales and 

can sell or give it.” 

LESSONS LEARNED 

AND FURTHER QUESTIONS

• Mutual aid is not new. It is people taking responsibility to care for one 

another and provide for material needs. 

• Grassroots CBOs are critical part of civic infrastructure and during pandemic 

were relied on to connect resources to the most vulnerable.

• They found new ways to exercise civic engagement (organizing, communitybuilding, mutual aid) and work with government, nonprofit, and private 

sector partners. 

• How can government and public resources support mutual aid and CBOs 

while maintaining the spirit of reciprocity?

• How can these mutual aid initiatives that started in crisis continue to grow 

and sustain themselves as part of the civic infrastructure?
61

Reflection

Adrienne Andrews

Deputy Chief of Staff, AmeriCorps
Q&A Panel Facilitator

Melissa Gouge, PhD

Research Analyst, AmeriCorps

62
 

 

Q & A Panel Discussion: 

• Adrienne Andrews, Deputy Chief of Staff, AmeriCorps 

• Kei Kawashima Ginsberg, Newhouse Director, CIRCLE, Tisch College of Civic Life, Tufts 

University 

• Laura Hanson Schlachter, Research Analyst, AmeriCorps 

• Penn Loh, Director of the Master of Public Policy Program and Community Practice, Tufts 

University 

• Andrea Robles, Research and Evaluation Manager, AmeriCorps 

63 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for attending today’s webinar. 

The recording and support materials will be provided in the next two weeks. Those items 

will be located on the AmeriCorps Impact Webinar page at: 

https://www.americorps.gov/webinar/what-civic-engagement-exploring-new-paradigms 

To inquire about the work presented in this webinar, please reach out to 

Evaluation@cns.gov 

"Reigniting Civic Life" Webinar Series 

Next webinar: April 26, 2023 from 3:30 to 4:45pm EST. 

Registration will be available in the coming weeks on the AmeriCorps Impact and 

Evidence Webinar Page 

64