CIRCLE

About

CIRCLE, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement is a non-partisan independent research organization focused on youth civic engagement in the United States. We conduct extensive research on youth participation and we leverage that research to improve opportunities for all young people to acquire and use the skills as well as knowledge they need to meaningfully participate in civic life. In all of our work, we are especially concerned with understanding, addressing, and ultimately eliminating the systemic barriers that keep some young people marginalized and underrepresented in civic life. We conduct and share practical research about how a broader diversity of young people can have a voice on issues that they care about in the democratic processes in order to play a role in forwarding solutions to the community problems. We call this civic engagement which can include a wide range of actions and activities such as voting and electoral engagement, activism and volunteering, media use and creation, and other ways in which youth participate in their communities and in the political process. We are especially interested in the academic, social, professional, and economic benefits to young people and to their communities when they engage in civic life. We seek to understand and improve the contexts and conditions that shape youth engagement, which are too often inequitable, with special emphasis on K-12 civic education’s role in preparing youth to participate in democracy. Our research informs policy and practice in order to drive substantive change–whether in the classroom, the county clerk’s office, or the community organization to promote stronger youth development and a more inclusive society.