Emerging News

New Carnegie Initiative Looks At Political Engagement

Menlo Park, Calif., June 2002 - A new initiative by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching will address the growing disengagement of young people from politics. Carnegie selected 21 courses or programs at colleges and universities that are focused on preparing students to be politically engaged citizens in their communities to study."

Colleges and universities are the institutions most involved with shaping the values, knowledge, skills, and motivation of people between the ages of 18 and 28, but there are few attempts to help strengthen students' political engagement at these institutions," said Carnegie President Lee S. Shulman. "Those efforts that do exist remain isolated from each other and little is known about their effects."

The three-year project will investigate what is working and why and will assist participants in collaborating to investigate, document, and improve their various efforts. They will also work together to articulate how best to foster and assess key elements of political engagement. At the end of the project Carnegie will publish recommendations and essays on exemplary approaches.

Funding for the project is provided by The Atlantic Philanthropies; the Carnegie Corporation of New York; The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE); the Ford Foundation; and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; as well as The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Elizabeth Beaumont, Anne Colby, and Thomas Ehrlich of the Carnegie Foundation head the project. More information on the project can be accessed through the Foundation's website at www.carnegiefoundation.org/PEP/.