The State of Youth Civic Engagement

In 2024, fewer than one in four US youth felt like they belonged to a group that expresses itself politically, and 44 percent of young nonvoters were disinterested or disliked the candidates.[1] In a moment where many adults of all ages are dissatisfied with politics, polarization, and American governmental institutions, the state of youth civic engagement is of particular importance. What does the next generation of voters understand about how they can engage civically? What do they believe about civic engagement? And how can educators and education policymakers support these young citizens better?

As civics educators, we believe it is essential that state policymakers understand the current state of youth civic engagement and recognize their critical role in creating the enabling conditions for increasing opportunities for young people to be engaged in civic life. We would argue that state policymakers must also directly engage with youth to help them develop civic skills.

What Surveys Reveal

Researchers have learned something about young voters’ behaviors and perceptions of their role as civic actors. The Center for Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University is one of the richest sources of data on the state of youth voting and the attitudes of young voters. In their 2024 postelection poll of a nationally representative sample of young people ages 18 to 34, CIRCLE found that youth voter participation dropped sharply in 2024, from a high of 50 percent in 2020 to only 42 percent in the most recent presidential election. More than a third of young people reported that voting in 2024 was not important to them. The most common reason given was that they did not like any of the candidates.[2]

This finding mirrors those of a 2023 survey from the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, a nonprofit for which we have worked. While 57 percent of young people in our nationally representative survey reported being dissatisfied with American democracy, 33 percent had no intention of participating civically, including voting in the 2024 election cycle.[3] Young people also said they were dissatisfied with the existing civic systems and structures. Sixty-one percent of survey respondents did not identify with either major political party, and 52 percent reported no or very little trust in government institutions.

These data are troubling, but they suggest a need to address civic engagement of young people outside of electoral cycles. If educators and policymakers hope to increase voter turnout among the next generations of voters in elections to come, it would be prudent to get youth engaged in civic life in various ways, including a focus on discourse, well before they are old enough to vote.

Gaps in Understanding

There are, nonetheless, critical gaps in our understanding of the topic. Comprehensive data on civic learning and engagement is thin. The most trusted measure of educational progress in civics is the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) eighth grade civics exam, first administered in 1998. It has assessed a nationally representative sample of eighth graders on civics every four years since 2006.

But unlike the NAEP biennial assessments for reading and math, data on civics are thin and not disaggregated by state. This limits the collective understanding of how state policies may be affecting students’ civic knowledge. Additionally, as the test is administered only to eighth graders, it is disconnected from learning in the high school years, when many states require civics learning. More data on students’ civic awareness and how it changes across grades is critical to continuously improving approaches to civics learning. Moreover, as deep cuts are forecast across educational activities in the coming year, it is doubtful that additional assessments needed in both the lower grades and at the high school level will be added. We count it as a win that while there were early concerns about the potential elimination to NAEP testing, at this time it seems the eighth grade assessment will still be administered in 2026.

Sticking Points

There are a number of debates about how to ensure that civics education is done well. Among the contentious issues are what should be taught. Should young people be taught facts, or should they also learn about civic values and dispositions? In recent years, there has also been serious debate about whether learning about the darker parts of our history is antipatriotic. Is there room to instill pride of country while also ensuring young people learn about the moments in history when its citizens have fallen short of democratic principles?

Connected to the issue of what should be taught is the issue of representation and inclusion—a particularly fraught topic at this moment in time. Many argue that traditional civics curricula, which rightly include much history, often ignore or minimize the experiences of non-White people. For others, the concern is whether including topics such as discrimination and colonialism, among others, is too controversial or increases the possibility of indoctrination rather than neutrality.

In our minds, these either/or debates minimize the possibility of robust civics education for young people. Moreover, these questions reduce and flatten the complex, knotty issues that civics necessarily entails. In framing these issues as either/or rather than both/and, we deprive young people of the opportunity to engage critically in the world around them.

What State Policymakers Can Do

State-level leadership on quality civics learning and engagement is crucial. State boards of education and other state policymakers have key opportunities. Many embed it in high school graduation requirements and state standards. As detailed elsewhere in this issue, states also approve programs for civics seals on diplomas—for example, the New York State Seal of Civic Readiness, the Kentucky Civic Seal Program, or the Arizona Seal of Civics Literacy. In Kentucky, the program is operated by the secretary of state and is aligned with the Kentucky Academic Standards for Social Studies, which it describes as a foundation upon which “the seal program [provides] an opportunity for students to go above-and-beyond in demonstrating good citizenship.”

States such as Maryland, Indiana, and Vermont offer high school credit for service learning, which is another way state leaders can incentivize youth civic engagement.[4] Critical to the success of any service-learning program is its implementation. As state policymakers consider creating or extending service-learning opportunities, they must consider adequate funding and authentic partnerships between schools and service placements, deep connections to academic programming, strong professional development for educators, and ample opportunity for students to reflect on their experiences as members of a broader civic community outside school walls.[5]

State policymakers can also directly engage with young people in civic spaces. In 2024, New Jersey passed state legislation permitting all students in grades 6–12 one excused absence each year to attend a civic event sponsored by a government entity, a community-based organization, or a nonprofit. Direct participation in civic institutions is real-world learning and perhaps is too often overlooked as a learning opportunity. State boards could invite youth to specific state board discussions or as part of regular public meetings to share their ideas for how to improve education and then follow up with ways in which the ideas students shared helped shape subsequent board decisions.

State policymakers might also amplify the efforts of existing community partners, like 4-H or the Chamber of Commerce, to engage young people in civics learning demonstrations. The National Civics Bee, administered by the Chamber of Commerce Foundation, is an essay competition open to sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students across the country. The free, nonpartisan competition begins at the local level, with students entering the competition via their local chamber of commerce and advancing through a state-level final for an opportunity to compete nationally.

Moreover, civics courses do not receive enough attention. Only seven states offer civics as a full-year high school course, and only five states require one semester of middle school civics.[6]

Policymakers are concerned about what should be taught and politicization in the classroom. This stokes fear among administrators and educators who want to avoid being seen as political. However, what is measured gets done, as is evident from the hyperfocus on reading and math scores over the past 25 years. No such comparable focus exists for civics. Furthermore, the public has not raised the alarm around the need for civic education. Civics has not yet had its Sputnik moment. Without outside pressure, state policymakers are unlikely to deem it a priority.

This failure to prioritize civics is a failure of leadership and collective will. The ill effects will surely soon catch up to the American public, if they have not already. Everyday citizens and many political leaders are unable to constructively discuss differences in both public and private spaces, and political violence is rising. While many choose to focus on external threats to the nation, the real threat is likely inside the house. Young people need the critical skills not just to vote but to do the harder daily work of citizenship.

Expanding Bright Spots

There are bright spots, where young people’s civic learning and engagement gets time and attention. Some young people are gaining civic skills and engaging deeply in their communities. Some are active, involved, and empowered. An extensive ecosystem of educators, out-of-schooltime practitioners, and community leaders is providing young people with critical opportunities to be responsible, responsive citizens.

iCivics and its cross-partisan coalition, CivxNow, are a key piece of this ecosystem. They have rallied nearly 400 organizations dedicated to enhancing K-12 civic education, and the coalition continues to expand. CivxNow encompasses a multitude of organizations with diverse goals and purposes, all of which prioritize civic education. Among the activities supported by iCivics is Civic Learning Week, an annual event that highlights the significance of civics education in strengthening and sustaining our constitutional democracy. In spring 2025, Civic Learning Week’s formal, informal, virtual, and in-person events were held across the country, with representation from all 50 states.

Our own organization, the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, is part of CivxNow. Over the past five years, C&S has supported approximately 300 young people aged 14 to 24 through a Civic Spring Fellowship. The fellowship program enabled young individuals to identify needs within their communities and acquire the civic knowledge and skills necessary to effect change. Young people, working individually, in teams, or in youth-led or youth-facing organizations, supplemented by guidance from coaches and the wisdom of a community of practice, provided public testimony supporting education needs in Texas, built community water filtration systems in Newark, New Jersey, and empowered youth to address catastrophic wildfires while engaging in wildfire resilience efforts, among other community-focused initiatives.

During the program’s inaugural year, members of the Kentucky Student Voice Team surveyed and analyzed quantitative and qualitative data about the impact of COVID-19 on youth across Kentucky. The team engaged with local and state education policy, communicated with education decision makers and stakeholders, and developed recommendations for responsive education practices concerning the pandemic’s impact. The team subsequently transitioned to a youth-led organization that continues to lift up the voices of young people through research, legislation, and advocacy.

Through the immense generosity of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, we can significantly increase the number of young people who will enhance their civic knowledge and skills and lead community projects. Over the next two years, 200 teams (1,000 young people nationwide) will work together on important issues. Our goal is that by the nation’s 250th birthday, there will have been at least one team in each state. In the first round of fellowship admissions, 300 applications were submitted for 100 slots. However, over 2,000 young people began applications, proving that when civic development and engagement opportunities exist, accompanied by coaching support and some funding, young people lean in. Young people do want opportunities for civic engagement, but those experiences must address issues that are most important to them. Rather than monopolizing their time and space, as adults often do, adults should provide youth the tools and support to engage.

For a subset of young people, there is an opportunity to engage very deeply in civics learning through the College Board’s AP US Government and Politics course. It outlines the foundations and principles of the American political system, examining how the US Constitution influences governmental functions, civil liberties, and political behavior. For underresourced schools, which must make a host of difficult decisions about academic programming, this opportunity may not be available, leaving too many students who have an interest and potential for AP studies with limited options.

We have also seen additional states galvanizing efforts to prioritize civics learning and engagement. Most recently, in March 2025 New Jersey launched CivicsNJ, a nonpartisan statewide coalition comprising philanthropic organizations, businesspeople, educators, civic organizations, and other stakeholders committed to advancing civics learning and engagement across the state. While early in its founding, CivicsNJ is actively pursuing participation by a diverse range of stakeholders to ensure that the Garden State is improving the practice of civics for and by young people.

Despite some incredible examples of youth civic engagement, far too few young people have access to the school-based or out-of-school activities needed to become the civic problem solvers the country desperately needs. There are too many civic deserts, particularly in urban and rural areas, that lack the necessary resources.

Most important, the work underway is reliant on the whims of federal funding or philanthropic generosity. Building consistent funding streams for civics learning into state and local education budgets—similar to core academic subjects like mathematics, reading, and science—is crucial for the success of youth civic engagement programming.

Replication is possible. On the one hand, many schools, school districts, and states are adopting civic seals to ensure that students have the necessary skills to engage as effective citizens. While the criteria differ, students who earn the seals are not merely parroting basic knowledge of government structures but are also being asked to participate in experiences that support their understanding of how government works and to demonstrate commitment to democratic principles. Critically, every state should also mandate a year-long civics course for K12 students, and not just the handful that do now.

Notes

[1] CIRCLE, “Young People and the 2024 Election: Struggling, Disconnected, and Dissatisfied,” survey (January 15, 2024).

[2] CIRCLE, “Young People and the 2024 Election.”

[3] Institute of Citizens & Scholars, “The Civic Outlook of Young Adults in America,” executive summary (2023).

[4] CivxNow Coalition, “State Policy Scan,” web page (2024).

[5] National Youth Leadership Council, “The Hidden Costs of Poor Service-Learning Experiences: Why Quality Matters,” web page (2025).

[6] New Hampshire remains the only state that allocates dedicated instructional time for civics in elementary school.