“It's the kind of expertise the school board needs to be able to make decisions together with young people that actually reflect student views, experience and opinions,” said our director Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg

A common challenge discussed by educators examining curriculum is how to "include wide perspectives without compromising rigor," says Noorya Hayat, a senior researcher at CIRCLE.

CIRCLE director Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg says youth voting and civic engagement is influenced by quality of civic education, school climate, and whether young people see themselves as civic agents or citizens.

Data from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University suggest 27 percent of young voters turned out.

A September analysis from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement found that voter registration among 18- and 19-year-olds is down compared with November 2018.

CIRCLE reports “research has shown that communities where young people vote, volunteer, help their neighbors and belong to groups or associations can be more prosperous and resilient places.”

A new report from researchers at the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University finds that the problem may not lie with young voters themselves... the civic education and engagement we expect to solve access issues can actually reinforce inequalities and influence who shows up at the polls.

“I think the hope is that by putting civics in a broader assessment framework, it will get the attention and care that it deserves from the education community,” said CIRCLE Senior Researcher Kelly Siegel-Stechler.