Friday marks the last day of the iEngage summer civics camp, where students spent that past week at Baylor learning how to make a difference in their neighborhoods.
Organizers said this year is the fifth annual camp they've hosted with almost 100 students throughout the Central Texas community. Students learned how to build important leadership skills through interaction with local and national civic leaders, simulations and service learning.
Co-founder of the iEngage program Brooke Blevins said some of the activities include spending time at Baylor Law School learning about the legal process and researching local community issues while learning how to effectively promote change.
"What we're hoping our kids take away is that they have a voice even as young people in society right now. They can have a voice and have a say in what happens and create sustainable change for both themselves and their communities that they live in," Blevins said.
Blevins also said the current political climate influenced part of the curriculum for students in this year’s summer camp.
"This year we've really tried to focus on civil discourse and on consensus building. We see in our national political environment that this might not be happening the way we hoped it would happen. Therefore, we hope that by helping our young people understand what it means to talk civilly with one another, deliberate about issues, and to come to a consensus, that they can carry that out in their communities in their schools," Blevins said.
Campers were divided into small groups based on their age and this program aims to teach them all how to be better citizens.
Organizers say part of the overall mission of iEngage is to help students realize that they can be the change they wish to see in their communities.
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