Americans demonstrate less civic engagement than citizens in the vast majority of democracies worldwide (Pew Research Center, 2019). Furthermore, American communities of color participate in traditional political action at rates below their white counterparts which distorts the nature of the democracy and leads to the reproduction of poverty and disenfranchisement for those communities (Krogstad & Lopez, 2017). While there are many avenues to pursue increased access to the ballot box, public secondary schools are uniquely situated to make a dramatic impact in the attitudes of students toward civic engagement. In an attempt to increase civic engagement, California currently recognizes and awards public schools that have established civic learning programs that effectively encourage civic engagement amongst participating students. Given limited civic engagement, how can schools better engage students of color in civic learning programs?

This multi-case study uses focus groups and interviews with students of color to examine best civic learning practices for increasing their commitment to civic engagement. This research demonstrates that capital building practices celebrating community cultural wealth are effective for civic learning. Additionally, it demonstrates that an increased focus on non-traditional forms of engagement would lead to greater commitment to civic engagement for those students and that even the most successful civic learning programs are lacking intentionality when it comes to working with students of color.