Analyzing civics education at community colleges

While most civics education initiatives focus on students in primary and secondary schools, a new report examines the vital civic mission of community colleges, surveying the current state of civics education in these institutions and how it can be enhanced across the United States.

The new Community College and Civics Report, a collaboration of the Annenberg Public Policy Center(APPC) and the American Association of Colleges and Universities, aims to understand how civics education opportunities are offered inside and outside community college classrooms and identify ways to strengthen and broaden these offerings.

Nearly half of all college students receive all or part of their postsecondary education from community colleges, making these institutions a crucial focal point for understanding how higher education advances civic learning and community engagement.

The report finds that 72% of respondents indicate that their community college offers courses across the curriculum that include civic learning. However, only 18% say these courses are specifically designated as "civic learning." Just a quarter of respondents say U.S. history is required, and fewer say that students are required to take courses such as American government and politics, the U.S. Constitution, or understanding civic institutions. And nearly all of the respondents say that their community college offers community-based engagement experiences (such as service learning, internships, community-based research, and clinical fieldwork) within the curriculum.

"This report offers a window into the wealth of opportunities community colleges can offer for the advancement of civic education," says R. Lance Holbert, director of the Leonore Annenberg Institute for Civicsat APPC. "Civics needs to be a core focus of all academic institutions, and this report reveals how community colleges are playing their part to develop a knowledgeable, engaged citizenry."

The Community College and Civics Report was co-written by Ken Winneg, APPC's managing director of survey research, and initiated by APPC director Kathleen Hall Jamiesonand supervised by R. Lance Holbert, director of the Leonore Annenberg Institute for Civics at APPC.

Read more at Annenberg Public Policy Center.