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Civic Engagement and Participatory Democracy

Numerous departments, centers, and institutes at K-State are actively engaged in civic education and developing participatory democracy structures. Through our Land-Grant heritage, core values, and commitment to a multidisciplinary approach to problem solving, KSU is uniquely positioned to build local, national, and international capacity for civic engagement and participatory democracy. Resources in civic engagement and participatory democracy include:

Featured programs

ICDD workshop participants Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy

The ICDD engages in education, research, preservation, and facilitation of communication that fosters civic involvement, improves the quality of political communication, and increases our understanding of the connection of communication to democracy.

image of a sunset Citizenship Washington Focus

The trip is planned to give 4-H members a close-up look at history and government. Upon returning home, the students set up community service projects to apply what they learned on the trip. The projects are ways members can show the community what they learned and put their citizenship and leadership skills to work by giving back to the community.

Leadership Challenge

Leadership Challenge is a four day residential intensive leadership development retreat designed both to identify and create students' leadership potential and to promote unity and collaboration among students. Students are challenged to examine their identity and diversity of others and how this can be used to work collaboratively in developing ways to give back to the K-State campus and their communities.

Kansas Campus Compact

Kansas Campus Compact is part of a national coalition of college and university presidents established to encourage and support campus engagement in the community. Kansas Campus Compact strives to inspire an active, responsible and committed citizenry while helping to solve society's most pressing needs.

Leadership Studies and Programs

Leadership Studies and Programs strives to fulfill each part of its mission statement: developing knowledgeable, ethical, caring, inclusive leaders for a diverse and changing world.

4-H and Youth Development

Though developed to serve rural youth, Kansas 4-H annually serves urban and rural youth through clubs, school enrichment, and after-school and camping programs.

HandsOn Kansas State

HandsOn Kansas State creates opportunities for people to volunteer, learn and lead in their communities. They strive to provide volunteers with a high-quality experience that fuels further action. Their annual events include the following national Days of Service: 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance (September), Make A Difference Day (October), Family Volunteer Day (November), Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service (January), and Global Youth Service Day (April).