63 Winter 2003 COMMUNITY BUILDING The Civic Mission of Schools Everyone who cares about America’s civic condition should be deeply concerned about the state of civic education in our schools. We are not doing as well as we used to in educating stu- dents for citizenship, which is one reason we see a less engaged pop- ulation of young Americans. Conversely, we know better than ever what works; effective civic education is well within the reach of our schools. These are the central messages of The Civic Mission of Schools, a report released on February 13, 2003, by the Carnegie Cor- poration of New York and the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE). The re- port was written and endorsed by more than fifty of the nation’s leading experts on civic educa- tion, including distinguished scholars, teachers, and students, and representatives of groups as diverse as both of the national teachers’ unions, the National Council for the Social Studies, the American Bar Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the Heritage Foundation. Participants agreed on a goal: schools should help to prepare “responsible, engaged citizens”— that is, people who know relevant facts and principles, participate in politics and civil society, and are committed to certain moral values, such as concern for the public good. There is no evidence that young people are less knowledgeable today than they were in the past. The report argues, however, that they are less engaged in civic and political life than previous genera- tions were at the same point in their lives. For example, voter turnout by young Americans (ages eighteen to twenty-five) has dropped by roughly one third since the voting age was lowered to eighteen in 1972. This drop accounts for virtually the whole decline in overall voter turnout since the 1970s. Likewise, young Americans are far less atten- tive to current events than they used to be. The proportion who say they regularly follow the news has fallen from one quarter to just 5 percent since 1972. One might suspect that young people are get- ting information in new ways—such as online—but this is not the case. Half say they never look on the Web for news. More young people say they vol- unteer than in the past, but the growth in service has mostly taken the form of occasional (rather than regular) volunteering. At best we can say that young people are turning to direct, per- sonal service as a substitute for political activity or membership in organizations. BY PETER LEVINE At best we can say that young people are turning to direct, personal service as a substi- tute for political activity or membership in organizations. One might suspect that young people are getting information in new ways—such as online—but this is not the case. Half say they never look on the Web for news. There is no evidence that young people are less knowl- edgeable today than they were in the past; however, they are less engaged in civic and political life than previous generations were at the same point in their lives.