CIRCLE (The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement)
conducts research on the civic and political engagement of young Americans.
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The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement

Group Membership and Social Networks

This series of research products addresses: young people’s participation in groups, the influence of the Internet on youth civic engagement, and how social media can influence community and political participation.

RSSGroup Membership and Social Networks

Why Looking Locally is Important

At CIRCLE, we study the civic engagement of young people– most often on a national scale – because accessing data  with civic outcomes which is representative at all geographic levels is often difficult.  We’ve done work on how federal policy can play a role in engaging Americans nationwide, but understand that learning from case studies Read More >

June 9th, 2011
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The Internet’s Role in Making Engaged Citizens

This first-of-its-kind study, which was partially funded by CIRCLE, examined three types of behavior: politically-driven online participation, online exposure to diverse perspectives, and interest-driven online participation. Youth who pursue their interest on the Internet are more likely to be engaged in civic and political issues, according to the study of student Internet usage authored by Read More >

February 23rd, 2011
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CIRCLE’s Social Media Experiments

CIRCLE is involved with two experiments that combine social media and civic engagement. One project, called BLink, is designed to “link organizations, issues, and people in the Greater Boston Area for social change.” BLink is an open network, usable by college students and anyone else in the community to support their volunteering and activism. The Read More >

July 19th, 2010
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April 2010 Edition of CIRCLE’s Quarterly Newsletter Available

The April edition (v7. i2) of CIRCLE’s quarterly newsletter, Around the CIRCLE, can be downloaded from here. The newsletter includes a variety of articles including: The Civic Mission of Schools: A Review of the Research Evaluation of Large Urban School District Shows Schools Can Increase Civic Engagement Massachusetts Senate Election: Youth Turnout Was Just 15, Read More >

March 22nd, 2010
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The Internet and Civic Outcomes: Notes from the Field

To better understand how young people without college experience are using the internet and technology, we interviewed staff from YouthBuild USA, an adult learning center in Vermont, a county correctional facility in Pennsylvania, and a community-based arts and education center in Kentucky. While all four organizations used the internet or technology for educational purposes, they Read More >

September 19th, 2009
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