Leveling the Path to Participation: Volunteering and Civic Engagement Among Youth From Disadvantaged Circumstances

The aim of this report is to explore the attitudes and behaviors of youth from disadvantaged circumstances, particularly around their engagement in volunteering, to inform efforts around enhancing opportunities for these youth people to enter into the cycle of civic participation. The study found that youth from disadvantaged circumstances are less likely to have entered the cycle of civic participation, leading to lower rates of volunteering and other forms of civic engagement. This report explores the characteristics of youth from disadvantaged circumstances who engage in volunteer activities and compare these characteristics to those of youth from disadvantaged circumstances who do not volunteer, particularly in relation to other forms of civic engagement. Through these analyses, this report looks to identify the significant connections to civic engagement that volunteer activities have for youth who grow up with economic hardship.