It Takes a Community: Civic Life and Community Involvement among Coos County Youth. New England Issue Brief No. 32

Among the many notable features of Coos County, New Hampshire, is the region's high level of community engagement and a rich civic culture. Community and Environment in Rural America (CERA) surveys by the Carsey Institute have shown that nearly one-fourth of adults in the community report membership in a civic or fraternal organization, and an overwhelming majority agrees that residents can work together to resolve local problems. Yet we know relatively little about the role of youth in the community life of Coos County. Recent research suggests that, across the nation, levels of civic engagement among young people are greater than many might assume, though there is significant variation in youth involvement across different kinds of activities and from one region to the next. Places with a long history of civic life such as Coos County might exhibit higher levels of youth involvement than rural areas with long histories of inequality, underinvestment, and chronic poverty, where social ties are fewer and community cohesion lower, such as those in central Appalachia or the Mississippi Delta. Like adult residents, youth are one social resource that communities can draw on as they seek to resolve local problems and foster community well-being. This issue brief explores the extent to which Coos County youth are involved in a variety of civic-related activities, with particular attention to the demographic and attitudinal factors associated with such participation. It also assesses the successes and struggles of local organizations in getting youth involved in community affairs. (Contains 5 figures and 10 endnotes.)