Stanford Civic Purpose Project: Longitudinal Study of Youth Civic Engagement in California, 2011-2013

In 2011, the Stanford University Center on Adolescence initiated a longitudinal study of civic purpose development in adolescence, with a particular focus on the civic experiences, attitudes, and motivations of young people from diverse backgrounds in the state of California. A survey on civic purpose and civic engagement was completed November 2011 by 1,578 high school seniors, and 50 of those seniors participated in an interview after they completed the survey. Additionally, nine youth civic exemplars were nominated by civic and community organizations, and were included in the study. Participants were invited to partake in follow-up surveys 9 months and 21 months later. Survey and interview questions covered topics such as community involvement, political and campaign knowledge, civic engagement, perceptions of America and U.S. government, and experiences with discrimination. Additional topics include information on the participants' conceptions of American citizenship, educational setting, and parental civic and community engagement. Demographic information collected about each respondent included age, race, gender, education, and employment status.