Civic Engagement
Civic Engagement
In my opinion, civic engagement can involve many things. It is more than just doing some service learning or some other job in the community. For many things like that, people do it because they have to. Rarely will you find people that are doing for no personal gain. That is why I believe finding someone who is truly engaged in their community and trying to make a difference is hard to find. A perfect example that we have discussed this semester is Paul Farmer. He went over and above what we would consider “Civic Engagement”. He did all his work with selflessness; with more concern of the needs and well being of those around him, rather than himself. He sacrificed so much to make the lives of others better. Also, we learned about the allegory of the cave. That once you have left the cave and seen the light, that it is now your responsibility to go back in and teach the others about what you have seen. We must not confuse that Service Learning and Civic Engagement are not the same thing. Not all service learning has a civic dimension, and not all civic engagement is service learning. It can be defined as actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern. It is these issues of public concern that make Civic Engagement so difficult to define because those concerns can vary in different communities. In my high school, in order to graduate, we were required to do 20 hours of community service. I thought it was a great way to get the students involved in the community, and hopefully continue with it after High School. Then they would understand what it means to be engaged and active in your community. A public concern that is present here in Chico, and we have been learning about this semester, is Sustainability. This is a perfect way to show Civic Engagement. There are many organizations and clubs extending out side the college, and is a great way to become involved in the community. These have all been great
In my opinion, civic engagement can involve many things. It is more than just doing some service learning or some other job in the community. For many things like that, people do it because they have to. Rarely will you find people that are doing for no personal gain. That is why I believe finding someone who is truly engaged in their community and trying to make a difference is hard to find. A perfect example that we have discussed this semester is Paul Farmer. He went over and above what we would consider “Civic Engagement”. He did all his work with selflessness; with more concern of the needs and well being of those around him, rather than himself. He sacrificed so much to make the lives of others better. Also, we learned about the allegory of the cave. That once you have left the cave and seen the light, that it is now your responsibility to go back in and teach the others about what you have seen. We must not confuse that Service Learning and Civic Engagement are not the same thing. Not all service learning has a civic dimension, and not all civic engagement is service learning. It can be defined as actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern. It is these issues of public concern that make Civic Engagement so difficult to define because those concerns can vary in different communities. In my high school, in order to graduate, we were required to do 20 hours of community service. I thought it was a great way to get the students involved in the community, and hopefully continue with it after High School. Then they would understand what it means to be engaged and active in your community. A public concern that is present here in Chico, and we have been learning about this semester, is Sustainability. This is a perfect way to show Civic Engagement. There are many organizations and clubs extending out side the college, and is a great way to become involved in the community. These have all been great