Civic Education and Engagement

To be active and engaged agents of positive change in our society, youth must know and understand how the country’s public policy process works. To address this need, MSU Extension offers resources to help young people learn how our local, state and national government structures operate and provides them with the skills and knowledge to influence the public policy process. In addition to building an understanding of how community structures work at every level, including boards and committees, MSU Extension also connects youth with decision makers at the county, state, tribal and national levels.

Explore more Youth Civic Education and Engagement Programs

4-H Advisory Group Support

Training and technical assistance for community and county 4-H advisory groups to help them provide high-quality and effective youth development programming consistent with Michigan 4-H policies and practices.
4-H Capitol Experience

4-H Capitol Experience is an annual conference that helps prepare youth for active citizenship by focusing on civic engagement and public policy.
4-H Citizenship & Tribal Citizenship Academies

High school-aged youth take a hands-on approach to learning about democracy at the local level by seeing firsthand how local, county and tribal governments work.
4-H Exploration Days

This MSU precollege program welcomes youth ages 12-19 to explore their future, try new things and experience college life! During this three-day event, youth will gain confidence and independence through hands-on learning and make friends for a lifetime.
4-H Leadership, Citizenship & Service

Discover the many ways to get involved in your community and act locally through activities and events that develop leadership and citizenship skills. Youth gain the knowledge, skills and practical application needed to learn job skills and have fun.
4-H Youth-Adult Partnerships

Incorporate young people into governance and decision-making processes with resources that help build and sustain youth-adult partnerships - a great way to couple youth enthusiasm and fresh perspectives with adult wisdom and experience.
National 4-H Congress

This five-day conference in Atlanta, Georgia, offers workshops on topics such as diversity, cultural experiences, leadership and team development. 4-H’ers can also apply to be on the leadership and design teams that develop and conduct the event.