Civic action and student voice

Abstract

This study explores the ways that youth make sense of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and how context informs the scope and nature of youth-led local civic action. Using an embedded case study approach, this study focuses on the Cultivating Pathways to Sustainability project, which engages scores of young people in the state of Vermont, U.S.A. Data for this study was drawn from observations and interviews of middle and high school students and teachers from 18 participating schools. The study’s findings show the value of intermediaries as catalysts for civic action, demonstrate ways of linking global policy with local civic action, and show how a youth-adult partnership model can deepen the meaning and implementation of civic action.