Building Skills for Civic Engagement: Children as Agents of Neighborhood Change

ABSTRACT

This study examines civic engagement and social development in children (N = 73) from public housing neighborhoods. Much of the research on civic engagement and social development focuses on youths and college students and the influence of participation in community service. This study addresses younger children in the process of social development and acquiring the seeds for civic engagement. Participants (X age = 9.25 years) learned to observe, photograph, and assess neighborhood strengths and challenges. They engaged in democratic processes to compile findings and present them to community members. Results indicate statistically significant changes in civic engagement and social development. Qualitative findings expand on these quantitative results. Implications for community practice and research are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Civic engagement
• neighborhood
• children
• social development
• community practice
• youth organizing
• focus groups

This study was supported by a Public Good Grant from the Public Good Scholarship Fund, University of Denver. This paper was presented at the 11th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference, January 12, 2007, San Francisco, CA.

The author acknowledges Dr. Jeff Jensen, PhD, for his support in developing the grant for this study as well as his feedback on initial drafts of this paper. The author also wishes to acknowledge the children who shared themselves and their neighborhoods as well as the MSW students who worked on the project. Many thanks also go to the staff and site directors of the local programs that hosted the “Neighborhood Explorers.”