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The U.S. faces a youth citizenry that is disengaged and lacks the necessary knowledge, skills, and dispositions to participate in and carry out their civic duties. The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) has found that despite a considerable increase in voting among youth in the 2004 election, voting among 18-24-year-olds is still lower now than it was in the years prior to 1972. Perhaps even more alarming, only 26% of U.S. students have proficient skills, knowledge, and dispositions for democratic participation, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in Civics and Government.
The Education Commission of the States National Center for Learning and Citizenship (ECS/NCLC) joined with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) to develop and implement the Youth Legislative Engagement project. ECS/NCLC drew upon the experiences and expertise from collaborative partners in California, Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon, South Carolina, and Wisconsin to develop a set of recommendations for engaging youth. This policy brief summarizes the state-level goals and accomplishments of this initiative and is intended for state policymakers, education leaders, and youth engagement advocates. (author)
