When most people hear “civic engagement,” they often think about politics, protests, or maybe just campaigning during election season. However, civic engagement is far bigger — and smaller — than that.
Civic life is often narrowly portrayed, usually relating to political activism or voting. However, civic engagement invites more than activism, it sparks curiosity, reflection, innovation and critical thinking.
Civic engagement isn’t just about showing up when something is on fire, it is about showing up when nobody is watching. It’s small, consistent acts that build trust, shift culture, and create real momentum for change. Being mindful of your thoughts, mindset, biases and listening habits are those “small” things that create positive changes. Civic engagement is not reactive, it’s proactive. In a sense, civic engagement is a way of life. It is something lived out daily in community spaces, relationships, and acts of service, not just protests or politics.
The Kansas Leadership Center has been a champion of this thought. Their motto is: “anyone can lead, anytime, anywhere.” This couldn’t be more true in our volatile political and social climate. You don’t need a title to have an impact. You don’t need a mic to make noise. Civic power is what happens when people believe their voice matters, and then use it to uplift others, not just themselves. Our Civic Engagement Club has centered its work on these core principles. We start conversations to uplift our fellow student and community voices, and help give them a platform to be seen.
The same applies to journalism. Journalism is the embodiment of civic engagement. It’s asking what matters, who’s affected, and how we hold systems accountable. It’s choosing curiosity over apathy, truth over comfort. Student journalism isn’t just storytelling, it’s service. Our coverage of school policies, student spotlights, community topics and local elections help drive awareness and dialogue in the community.
It’s easy to talk about change, but what are we exactly working towards? To me, civic engagement is about community vitality: the ability of a place, a school, a city, to be compassionate, just and whole. Civic action isn’t just about resisting what’s wrong, it is about building what’s right. Through deliberation, active listening, critical thinking and everyday mindfulness, we can spark a cultural shift in how we think about not only pressing issues, but topics/occurrences in our everyday lives.
Civic engagement isn’t a moment. It’s a mindset that you must cultivate everyday with purpose. Through my journey in community vitality in the Manhattan community, these are the core principles I’ve learned and hope to continue to foster in the future. I hope you all take a moment to reflect and practice being more civically engaged in your everyday lives.
