What is Civic Engagement?

Civic Engagement is a phrase that encompasses a wide range of activities—service, service-learning, advocacy and activism among them. These activities have two things in common. First, they serve the public interest. Second, they are carried out by people acting as citizens or community-members. While this means that civic engagement largely focuses on responding to community problems or strengthening public, non-profit organizations, the key to civic engagement is not activity but intent. A person reading alone might be civically engaged if the purpose of that reading is to help him develop as a citizen. A business owner might be civically engaged if she is, but building her business, purposefully improving the community. Conversely, students providing volunteer service might not be civically engaged if they are serving simply to fulfill an assignment.

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