Opportunities

Twelve Ways to Become More Civically Engaged

"The trouble...is that we have taken our democracy for granted; we have thought and acted as if our forefathers had founded it once and for all. We have forgotten that it has to be enacted anew in every generation." -- John Dewey

• Attend an on or off campus event focusing on civic engagement (list of events up soon)
• Get involved with the Minnesota State Student Association
• Participate in a Civic Organization working within Greater Mankato (Most of these groups welcome student participation)
• Get involved with Mankato City Government
• Consider volunteering with the state or national political party of your choice (Click here for a list of political parties; most websites have a section titled something like "get involved.")
• Take courses with a service-learning component (list coming soon)
• Check out the student section of the National Campus Compact's website (The National Campus Compact focuses on civic engagement and higher education; their student programs offer a range of unique and diverse opportunities.)
• Consider searching for a career in organizations working for the public good. (Visit the extensive listing of socially responsible jobs provided by Manchester College or the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits for more information)
• Consider pursuing a short-term position working for the public good (The Southern Minnesota branch of Americorps or the national Peace Corps are good places to look for unique opportunities following graduation)
• Join an on-campus organization dedicated to service and civic engagement. These include Jumpstart, Alpha Phi Omega Co-Ed Service Fraternity, and the Kessel Institute for the Study of Peace and Change
• Use your imagination, passion and energy to create something new on campus--like the food co-op at Portland State University, the American Democracy Project Sculpture Contest at the University of Central Oklahoma.
• If the above does not prove helpful, contact The Center for Community-Based Learning and Civic Engagement . Let us know what you're interested in, and we will do our best to help you find a way to contribute