CIRCLE (The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement)
conducts research on the civic and political engagement of young Americans.
The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement

Call for Guest Posts: Youth Electoral Engagement and Beyond

November 20th, 2015
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CIRCLE is seeking proposals for guest posts to our website, civicyouth.org, focused on relationships between electoral engagement and civic life and democracy more generally.

Over the next year, a great deal of time and money will be spent on reaching voters—including young voters—in the U.S. We would like to convene a conversation about whether and how efforts to promote youth electoral engagement (e.g. voting, learning about candidate positions, volunteering for a campaign), help to increase the prevalence, equity, and quality of youth civic skills, attitudes and engagement generally. We define civic engagement broadly. Questions to discuss could include:

  • What are the ways in which electoral engagement is integrated with other forms of engagement and how is this best done? Does the focus on youth voter engagement also strengthen other forms of engagement? What opportunities would facilitate this link?
  • How are skills and attitudes developed or furthered as a part of electoral engagement related to non-election civic activities?

We are looking for proposals from a variety of perspectives, including people who run youth programs, researchers, funders, teachers, etc. We will consider proposals that share or reflect on qualitative and/or quantitative data, as well as program evaluations and reflections on programs and theoretical arguments. We will give preference to posts that discuss any connection to K-12 schools and curricula, households as settings for discussions or civic activities, or ways in which young people learn and practice being civic through cultural and peer influences.

New Guest Post Initiative

This call for posts is part of a new initiative that began this summer and fall. Last spring we asked our supporters (who include researchers, program staff, youth workers, and others) about their interest in guest posts to the CIRCLE website, and the response was positive. Thank you to those who took the time to give us feedback. The first series about impact measures is ongoing.

We see this initiative as a way to amplify the voices of our peers in the youth civic engagement world (with an eye to equity and diversity), to increase knowledge and build capacity, and to promote conversation among individuals and groups involved with research, policy and practice.

CIRCLE staff will assess proposals based on the following criteria:

  • Importance of the implications for practice, research, policy, and funding
  • Representation from multiple stakeholder groups (i.e. youth, youth workers, evaluators, academics, teachers)
  • Collaborative thinking (especially with youth)
  • Unique and timely contributions
  • Applicability to increasing equity in civic and political opportunities among youth

To Submit to this Call

Please submit proposals by midnight on January 4th, 2016 January 1, 2016 using this web form. Guest posts will be published between January and April of 2016, included in a series “proceedings,” and will be the basis of an online discussion in the spring.

Proposals should be no longer than a half page of text (~200-250 words), and will be assessed by CIRCLE staff. Please see above for the selection criteria. Selected submissions will be asked for a full post of 500-800 words (we will also post other formats or media), which our staff will review and provide feedback, if applicable.

Questions can be sent to abby.kiesa@tufts.edu.

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