Civic Leadership is Developed Through Service Learning
Civic Leadership includes a standard set of civic leadership competencies. The following is a description of twelve competencies that have been identified.
Civic Literacy
- Understanding the rights and responsibilities of a citizen
- Understanding the history and role of social movements
- Understanding the history of national and citizen service
- Understanding the different ways in which citizens can positively impact their communities
- Knowledge of policies that significantly impact the communities we serve
- Knowledge of government bodies/agencies that impact the community we serve
- Knowledge of elected or appointed officials that represent the communities we serve.
Community Assessment
Understanding the complex dynamics which impact communities including
their strengths, needs, history, community issues, economies, local
leadership, etc.
Financial Management
The ability to manage personal finances, including personal budgeting,
financial goal setting, saving for a future expense, investing, completing
a tax return, accessing resources for continued education. The ability
to understand and manage project and organizational finances including
budgets, financial statements, etc. Lastly, the ability to understand
basic economics and the financial issues that impact communities.
Project Planning and Management
The ability to plan and manage projects from start to finish including
the need or issue to be addressed, brainstorming and setting goals,
delegation of tasks, creating timelines, managing the project team
to accomplish the tasks according to the timeline, evaluating the
project's performance, etc.
Communications
The ability to communicate in a clear, powerful, compelling way through
public speaking, writing, and interpersonal communication. Increased
levels of mastery in public speaking include the ability to deliver
increasingly complex types of speeches (reading something, announcements,
instructions, storytelling, facilitation, teaching, inspirational/motivational
speaking) before increasingly complex audiences using a greater range
of speaking tools and techniques. The ability to effectively participate
in civic discourse- to debate and discuss the complexities of issues,
make compelling arguments, listen to and understand opposing viewpoints,
create solutions that transcend constraints, etc.
Team Leadership
The ability to lead and manage a group of individuals to become a
high-functioning, tight-knit team. Increasing levels of mastery will
reflect the complexity and duration of the team leading and the degree
to which the group demonstrates teamwork and achieves high levels
of collective performances.
Working with Children and Youth
The ability to engage, teach, inspire, motivate children and youth
toward becoming more successful, confident, caring, and actively
engaged citizens. Includes knowing how to connect with a child and
engage them in activities or behaviors that will support their learning
and development. The ability to design effective children's programming
and curricula.
Fundraising (Resource Engagement)
The ability to engage others to contribute toward a worthy cause
or endeavor either with cash or in-kind materials or services. Includes
the ability to identify individuals, businesses, or other organizations
that have potential resources; knowing how to initiate contact and
cultivate rapport and a relationship; knowing how to communicate
both the need and the opportunity to make a difference in a compelling
manner whether orally or in writing; knowing how to successfully
make a task that is compelling. Increasing levels of mastery will
reflect the degree of resources engaged and the number of people
led in the fundraising event.
Inclusivity (Diversity)
Understanding the different dimensions of diversity and how they
impact personal, group, and societal dynamics and more importantly,
the ability to create truly inclusive processes and communities that
take into account the dimensions of diversity. Understanding the
different forms of societal oppression and how they impact privilege,
opportunity, perspective, communications and knowing how to reduce
the degree of oppression, prejudice, and bias. The ability to leverage
the strength of diversity in a team or higher group.
Recruitment
The ability to engage others into action around a worthy cause or
effort. Increasing degrees of mastery reflect the size and complexity
of a recruitment goal or the degree of commitment that others are
being recruited for (from one-time volunteering to applying to do
full-time service for a year).
Health, Wellness, and Safety
Basic understanding of concepts of health, wellness, and safety including
nutrition, fitness, balance, and taking precautions to prevent injury,
illness, or worse.
Computer Technology
Understanding how to use computer technology as a tool for civic
leadership starting with basic applications like word processing,
email, internet browsing, spreadsheets, and moving on to more complex
applications like databases and designing software. Increasing degrees
of mastery reflect increased understanding of different tools and
functions on more complex projects within an application as well
as knowing how to use more advanced applications.