La Verne Chosen to Participate in National Civic Learning Initiative

A national consortium selected the University of La Verne out of dozens of applicants to participate in an initiative aimed at advancing civic learning in grade school and higher education, Campus Compact officials announced this month.

La Verne and eight other institutions are set to receive grants and will gather in Baltimore in November for an Action Summit to kick off the initiative.

Director of Civic and Community Engagement Marisol Morales called La Verne’s selection an honor.

“Our student body reflects the face of America and we hope that through this partnership we will impel voice and vote for this next generation of change makers,” Morales said.

Morales plans to attend the summit with Rosalilia Gradilla, coordinator of the Co-Curricular Community Engagement Program, Lauren Crumbaker, President of the Associated Students of the University of La Verne, and Austin Heron, ASULV Senator Pro Tem. Several representatives from Pomona Unified School District and the Mikva Challenge/Action Civics LA will accompany La Verne’s students and staff.

The group represents a collaboration that Morales says will help increase youth engagement in the political process for the region and nation.

The consortium – comprised of Campus Compact, the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, Education Commission of the States and Generation Citizen – invited universities and colleges to apply to participate in the program this summer.

Goals of the initiative include fostering dialogue within cities and regions about opportunities to prepare young people from underserved communities for lives of success, participation and leadership.

“The initiative is grounded in the understanding that civic learning is both intrinsically important and is a powerful way to deepen students’ engagement in their own education, thereby promoting their overall success,” Campus Compact officials wrote in their announcement of university participants.

The California Department of Education called for a revitalization of civic learning in K-12 education in an August 2014 report, saying it is vital for an increasingly diverse society and that it engages students in relevant curriculum. The department recommended educational leaders organize more opportunities for students to participate in activities such as mock trials and Model United Nations events, and that students should be encouraged to volunteer for service-learning projects and internships.