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Pillars or Core Architectural Features of a Civic Engagement Minor or Certificate

When examining the core structures and characteristics of programs from the participating institutions, several themes, concepts and activities have emerged that provide a basic understanding of the structure of the civic engagement certificate or minor. The outgrowth of these findings is the beginning of a blueprint for these and other institutions to follow as they develop an academic route that will encourage, educate and direct students to integrate their commitment to service with their understanding of citizenship.

Through the work of the FIPSE Civic Engagement initiative, the Bonner Foundation hass begun to articulate a template for civic engagement certificate or minor programs. Pillars or core features associated with these various incarnations of civic engagement academic programs on campuses include:

• Integrated: Co-curricular activities are integrated with specific academic coursework.

   

• Intense: Each student participates in regular ongoing (in the Bonner model, it is 8-10 hours of service a week, plus training and enrichment) during the school year, engages in at least one full time summer service internship, and takes a minimum of five academic courses as part of the curriculum.

   

• Multi-Year: This initiative is a multi-year approach. The process is a minimum of two years and preferably four years of service and course work.

   

• Developmental/ Sequential: Both the co-curricular service and training activities and the civic engagement certificate-related academic courses have to have to be organized with a beginning, middle and end so that the expectations and requirements increase and are built one upon the other. 

   

• Politics/Public Policy: This initiative cannot consist of “just volunteering” or “stand alone community service.” Students are expected to integrate their service experience with their understanding and exploration of politics and public policy. 

   

• Poverty: Any education around civic engagement and all informed community service must be accompanied with an in-depth awareness and analysis of economic poverty in this country. 

   

• Global: Civically engaged students must have exposure and knowledge through both service and course work about the global community and how the United States relates to the world in a political, economic and cultural ways.

Back to FIPSE Civic Engagement.