Civic Education

There is a character and civic education deficit in this country. The problem is actually heightened in low-income communities. Valuable civic education and empowerment opportunities are often unequally distributed.

Through Youth Revive’s programs and services, youth become character-driven, wanting to rebuild, reconnect, and revive their community. This ultimately leads to youth becoming active and caring community citizens.

Youth Revive was founded by Adrian McConnell, a former youth pastor with experience serving youth in low-income communities. Adrian has experienced firsthand the plight in under-resourced neighborhoods as a youth in Kansas City. When Adrian was accepted to participate in a national urban youth leadership program for urban youth workers, he realized the importance and need of empowering youth with the skills and resources necessary for community development. Soon after that, Youth Revive was born.

Youth Revive’s Ignite Me Action Civics curriculum is comprised of a set of modules with six critical components that allow for youth empowerment around character and civics education:

• Examine Community. Youth will analyze and examine the community they reside in by taking a community survey. Alternatively, they will perform asset mapping to understand individuals, institutions, associations, and physical spaces.

• Identify Key Issues. Youth identify personally relevant issues, focusing on the most salient issue through a process of root-cause analysis.

• Research. Youth do primary and secondary research to find evidence for their issues and propose solutions.

• Plan for Action. Youth begin to plan out proposed solutions while thinking through various tactics and developing strategies for action.

• Taking Action. Youth draft a plan to take action on an identified issue and its root cause.

• Reflection. Youth present at CAP Day and receive feedback. Youth identify potential community partners for the implementation of the solution to the identified issue.

As a result of engaging with Youth Revive, youth have a more developed sense of civic character. Youth are engaged in ongoing education and advocacy campaigns that can lead to change. They believe they have the power to make a difference in the community. They have the willingness to accept personal, political, and economic responsibility of their own actions. They will become character-driven youth who work to reconnect, rebuild, and revive communities.

Youth Revive and Rising Blazers have a shared vision for youth and community engagement. The collaborative is stirring change and moving our communities in a direction that motivates its residents.