There are many examples of civic engagement. When you have a job, you are paying income taxes with each paycheck and often at the end of the year. If you own a home, you pay property tax, and when you purchase items online or in stores, you pay sales tax. These taxes are used by the government/governing agencies for community, county, or state road improvement projects, police department, fire department, schools and parks.
Non-political involvement is your participation in events and activities that help others, often people less fortunate, in your community. Cleaning up a neighborhood park helps everyone in a community, no matter what is going on in their lives. Becoming a volunteer for a nursing home, hospital, nonprofit or place of worship is another way to give back to the community while learning many hands-on and/or leadership skills. By volunteering your time, you are engaging with your community.
When you are in school or when you become eighteen, voting is your way of voicing your opinion of who should represent you when decisions are being made, and your way to communicate your approval or disapproval of changes to the law or how things function. In schools there is student government weighing in on the decisions for the school and student body. When out of school, your local community government, from the county or state in which you reside, will all have elections. Some housing communities even have Home Owner Associations or HOA’s that offer opportunities to serve and vote. Aside from voting, signing a petition for a new law or for an existing law to be changed is equally important.
Civic engagement or participation occurs when any individual or group activity addresses issues of public concern. This includes the community working together, and the goal of it is to address public concerns and promote the quality of life in the community. Being informed on this process is how you can become engaged with the community in which you live.