Civic engagement is using power to enact an agenda.

Civic education should teach students how to do that.

Young people are participating in marches and online political speeches in incredible numbers. And, while that effort is raising awareness creating sustainable change requires a civic engagement that is far broader. Civic engagement is a day in and day out process of engaging with your local representatives, city councilperson, state assemblyperson, state senator, US congressperson, and Senators to ensure that your values are reflected in the policies and practices of your community..

Last fall we held an election (I assume you knew that). Typically an election is an avenue for people to express their views. Once those views are made known, our leaders come together and set off on a new path (hopefully reflecting our views). Yet after an election where more Americans than ever before voted we were left with little collective sense of how to move forward. 

You don’t have to read this post to realize that political polarization rules the day. President-elect Biden argued that he will overcome the polarization by making collaboration a cornerstone of his plan. Some political experts think it is foolish for him to even try. For example, Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia says that if Biden reaches across the aisle, “He’s going to fall into a trap” and refers to Biden’s overtures as “‘…beyond naive. It’s delusional.”

I have worked with young people who are solving problems in their communities for 25 years. Typically those young people have approached problem-solving by asking what solution makes the most sense for the most people. They are willing to work with whoever is interested in order to make progress. 

This is because young people are largely ready to move beyond this partisan bickering. Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, from Tufts University, speaking with Teen Vogue last year said that, “Young people today are only seeing this very…polarized world where nothing politically seems to be functioning as it’s supposed to…that includes political parties.” 

How can young people help us break out of this era of polarization? Here are three ideas: 

• All politics are local: Problem-solving rooted in lived experiences is more authentic and ultimately, successful. Let’s start critically examining our communities.
• Build democratic skills: It is time for us to build the skills and habits of compromise and dialogue that are central to a functioning democracy. 
• Let young people into the room where it happens: Young people are demonstrating every day that they are both willing and able to participate in meaningful decision-making. Let’s open the doors to real participation and welcome young people to the table as citizens. 

Over the long term, we need to make civic education about gaining experience: Young people need to learn how the democratic system works, but more importantly, they need to experience collaborating with people whose opinions are different from their own. 

Over the long term, we need to make civic education about gaining experience. Young people need to learn how the democratic system works, but more importantly, they need to experience collaborating with people whose opinions are different from their own. 

If you were alive in 1983 you might remember Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill working together. If not, you probably think bipartisan partnerships are like unicorns – it would be great to find some, but it is pretty unlikely. Young people can transcend our political divides – let’s work together to ensure that young people get the preparation they deserve.