Providence College Youth Civic Engagement Initiative

Posted by on April 12, 2002

Providence College Selects Ten Organizations to Participate in Youth
Civic Engagement Initiative

Providence College ( http://www.providence.edu/ ) in Providence, Rhode
Island, has selected ten nonprofit organizations, state education
agencies, local school districts, and universities to participate in an
initiative designed to examine and expand civic engagement opportunities
for high school students in the United States.

Funded by a two-year, $3.4 million grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts
( http://www.pewtrusts.com/ ), the National High School Civic Engagement
Initiative will provide $100,000 to each of the selected organizations
to establish networks of twenty to twenty-five high schools that bring
together teachers and students to create programs that encourage and
facilitate civic engagement. More than 100,000 students at urban,
suburban, and rural high schools in fifteen states are expected to
participate.

"Young people own more of the future than we do, and we need to grant
them a greater voice and investment in it," said Richard M. Battistoni,
a professor of political science at Providence College. "This project is
by and for young people. We want them to see that they have a stake in
the life of their communities and that they have a responsibility to
participate in them." "Ten Networks Nationwide Selected to Participate
in High School Civic Engagement Initiative Sponsored by Providence
College and Funded by Pew Charitable Trusts." Providence College
04/03/02.

http://www.providence.edu/college-relations/032502a.pdf

[ed note: Congratulations to the University of Pennsylvania School of
Education for receiving one of these awards.]