Secretary of State Trey Grayson
Sunday, October 03, 2004
00:00 AM
Secretary Grayson invites citizens to participate in the Kentucky Summit on Civic Literacy.
Civic engagement is essential to the success of a democratic government. Yet the last forty years have seen a continual decline in the involvement of American citizens in the democratic process with fewer participating in elections and the governing process.
The decrease among young people is even more alarming. Since 1972, young voter participation in presidential elections has declined more than thirteen percent nationwide. During the 2000 presidential election, only 39 percent of Kentucky’s youth aged 18 to 24 bothered to vote.
One reason for this decline is the lack of formal civic education that our youth receive in our schools. Once mandatory for graduation, civics classes are now at best an elective, and in most schools, only a small part of a history or social studies class. As a result, most young Kentuckians, and their colleagues around the country, have little knowledge of our how state or federal government works.
Not surprisingly, in the 1998 National Assessment of Educational Progress, the most recent year for which data is available, 75 percent of students scored at “basic” or “below basic” levels on the civics assessment. Similarly, other studies have found that one third of high school seniors lack a fundamental understanding of American government.
We must re-examine what is now being done and find ways to improve civic literacy and community involvement. For that reason, representatives from all three branches of Kentucky government and both major political parties have joined together to study civic literacy and civic engagement in Kentucky.
During this year’s session of the General Assembly, Senator Jack Westwood (R-Crescent Springs) and Representative Tanya Pullin (D-South Shore) secured passage of a joint resolution calling for the organization of a day-long Summit on Civic Literacy. The Summit will take place on October 5th on the campus of Northern Kentucky University (NKU) and is being organized by the Secretary of State’s office, NKU’s Scripps Howard Center for Civic Engagement, the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Kentucky Department of Education.
The Summit is the beginning of a multi-year effort to first assess and then enhance the civic literacy and civic engagement of young Kentuckians. It will provide an opportunity for wide range of community leaders, educators, students and government officials to discuss civic education in Kentucky, examine baseline data and compile a set of recommendations for the future. For more information about the Summit, including information about how to register, please visit our webpage at civicsky.nku.edu or call the Secretary of State’s office at (502) 564-3490.
Civic literacy and a broad understanding of the need to take part in civic activities are critical if we are to have engaged citizens who actively partake in community life. By encouraging participation in the democratic process, along with the appropriate knowledge, attitude and skills, Kentucky can foster an environment in which young people become engaged citizens.
I look forward to discussing this critical issue with Kentuckians at the Summit. If you can’t attend the Summit, don’t worry. Over the next year, we will take the show on the road, so to speak, and organize smaller town hall meetings across the Commonwealth. Please let us know if you would like us to come to your community. In the meantime, I invite you to share your ideas and thoughts with us as we seek to enhance the civic literacy and civic engagement of our youth.