Building Civic Culture in Rural Minnesota
The Conservative Agenda for Democracy Fund (CADF) has awarded the Center for Youth Voice $40,000 to pilot a Minnesota Civic Seal program with five rural high schools in politically conservative communities. The Minnesota Civic Seal Rural Initiative represents a transformative opportunity to address the growing decline in civic engagement, particularly in rural communities, which face unique challenges including declining populations, limited resources, and fewer community organizations.
“The goal of the Minnesota Civic Seal program is to encourage and recognize civic learning and participation among high school students,” according to Amy Anderson, executive director of the Center for Youth Voice. “Drawing from successful models in 12 other states, including Arizona, Kentucky, New York, and California, the program establishes clear pathways for students to demonstrate civic knowledge and American democratic values to strengthen communities.”
During the pilot, which starts in January 2026, the Center for Youth Voice will work with teachers and students from five schools to identify coursework, community service projects, and opportunities to connect with people whose views are different than their own to help develop civic skills and attitudes. Research shows that communities with civically engaged citizens are more resilient and responsive to challenges like economic change, public health crises, or natural disasters. Civic engagement also builds social trust and connectedness.
This is the first grant cycle for CADF, which received 37 different proposals and choose 10 projects to fund across 11 states. You can learn more about the Minnesota Civic Seal by clicking here: https://www.mncivicseal.org/. And you can learn more about CADF at www.civicright.org.