Academic Info

News media and popular culture surround us with stories of violence, poverty and urban decay. Political leaders exchange ideas about education, the economy, health care and welfare reform. But what are all of these issues really about? What is life like for someone who is homeless or on welfare? Where have these problems come from? Most importantly, what can we do about them, as individual citizens and as a society? 

Civic Leadership Institute students, through an introductory course in Civic Engagement & Contemporary Social Issues, explore the complex challenges that affect our communities today and are introduced to tools and strategies for community development and positive social change.

Civic Leadership Institute participants:

• explore the root causes of and potential solutions to specific social problems
• understand the individual and institutional stakeholders that make up a community
• discover how to identify and mobilize community assets
• gain exposure to a wide range of community development and leadership theories
• analyze case studies on effective social change throughout history
• examine what it means to be a citizen and a leader in today's complex world
• build concrete interpersonal and leadership skills, including communication, teamwork, critical thinking and creative problem-solving
• identify ways to become more active in their own schools and communities after the program concludes.