Program for Civic Engagement and Renewal¹
at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

The Program for Civic Engagement and Renewal began August 2002. It is a Board of Regents project that is administratively housed in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. It emerged from the recognition that the last twenty years has witnessed an alarming trend of declining knowledge about government, as well as involvement in civic affairs. This trend has been associated with increases in both mistrust of government and misgivings about electoral processes.

The program aims to reinvigorate citizenship through the creation of a neighborhood of civic enhancement activities, research and service projects, as well as partnerships with corporations, state and local agencies in collective efforts to advance public purposes.

When fully operational the program will have an advisory committee comprised of approximately 15 individuals, groups, and organizations. It will provide a core group of services, as well as develop and implement special initiatives. The core services are continuous activities, which aim to inform, inspire, and enhance citizenship through fact-finding, public awareness, citizenship enhancement, service learning, and e-government activities. Special initiatives seek to further reinvigorate citizenship by instigating, developing, and implementing specially focused and time limited projects that make extensive use of collective action to test ideas or demonstrate particular methods for advancing public purposes.

Since its inception, program efforts have been directed at developing its overall strategic direction, identifying potential fund sources, and developing specific proposals that offer effective strategies for addressing current public policy issues. The Program’s director is Grady L. Cornish.

Accomplishments

• Completed Strategic Plan which defines the mission, objectives, nature and scope of program activities.
• Proposal. ”The Faith Based Re-Entry Project” is a three year demonstration effort designed to test a reentry model that engages the faith based community in substantial efforts with the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles to reintegrate certain parolees back into the community for the expressed purpose of reducing victimization, recidivism and enhancing public safety.
• Proposal. The Math Project offers an evolving comprehensive approach for closing the achievement gap in mathematics. It is based on the idea that partnerships and citizen involvement provide value-added resources to local, state and federal initiatives in this area.
• Proposal. A Demonstration of the Kumon Math Method offers a three-year demonstration effort designed to strengthen the Math Skills of Elementary School Children in an Urban and Rural Setting in Georgia.
• Proposal. The Community Building Project is a custom design service that offers an open-ended process for expanding the capacity of a community to identify and solve its problems and plan for the future. It is based on the idea that community building is about strengthening the civic infrastructure of a community. Just as every community has a physical infrastructure of roads, bridges, power lines and buildings, it also has an equally important “civic infrastructure,” which is vital to its future and equally in need of periodic evaluation and maintenance.