Civic Learning and Engagement in Context of Child Development

Although Universities and other Educational Institutes are beacon of cultural and civic engagement, there is a consistent tension between theory and praxis. Although, many campuses are proactive as they provide their students with the opportunity for "in-world" experiences, these experiences can at times be divorced from community and grass roots efforts. Through my tenure in Community and Youth Work, I have had the privilege to work and support interns from several Universities in Rochester. A common theme seen is how college students receive a snapshot of community work, learn grass root skills that are foundational to anywhere they go and then get recruited by for-profit or private enterprises, leaving a gap in the most vital and Vanguard work necessary to make our communities strive. Through my participation in this course development program, we hope to engage college students and our future professionals as they develop critical consciousness and are exposed to insights that show how a holistic and comprehensive approach to youth work that incorporates civic engagement and community development relies on a praxis that is both informed by academic knowledge and influenced by community impact and involvement. In the same vein that theory and praxis are meant to develop each other, civic engagement and community development must also develop spaces and allow itself to be influenced by youth.

This course provides theoretical and empirical perspectives on civic engagement as a pillar in child development and learning in context, with an emphasis on the middle childhood years (ages 5 to 12). The orienting framework for the course will emphasize the role of a wide range of contextual factors in how civic engagement and social action meaningfully impact and influences children's development. Students will read about the paradigms that researchers have used to study the benefits of child development through the lens of civic responsibility. In the area of cognitive development and social awareness the course will cover classical and contemporary psychological and sociocultural perspectives as well as their implications for learning in a variety of contexts.

Kelvin Sanchez Orona

Seed Sowers and Storytellers Coordinator

Freedom Scholars Learning Center