Civic learning is a process through which students develop the knowledge, skills, and commitments to interact effectively with fellow community members to address shared problems. It includes preparation for both civic engagement (or practices seeking to promote the public good through non-governmental organizations and informal community work) and political engagement (or activities aiming to influence state action through formal avenues such as voting, lobbying, or petitioning). There are many practices that directly improve the quality and effectiveness of civic learning in schools, including civic action projects; digital literacy education and engagement; classroom instruction in government, history, law and democracy; discussion of current events; service-learning; extra-curricular or co-curricular activities; student voice in school governance; and simulations of democratic processes.

For the 2023-2024 academic year, we will offer a four virtual part series on best practices in civic learning to promote an engaged democracy. This series is joinly offered by ECU Office for Faculty Excellence, UNCW Center for Teaching Excellence, and ECU Intercultural Affairs.