| | | |
| Copyright  The Case Foundation, 2008. All Rights Reserved. |
|
Take Action!
6 Steps to Becoming a More Engaged Citizen
Get political
Voting is fundamental to our democracy. Several states have same-day voter registration and many have registration available at the DMV or post office. |
|
Register to vote in your state here, through the Declare Yourself website. |
|
 | |
|
 |
|
Already registered? You can help other people register to vote by joining a Rock the Vote Street Team here, where you help empower young people to participate in the political process. | |
|
What issues do you care about? Write to your representative or senator. Look up and contact your local, state, and federal elected officials. |
|
 | |
Get informedDon't rely on soundbites and 30-second commercials that you see only during campaign season. Learn how candidates stand on issues. |
|
Make an informed decision. The League of Women Voters (it's not just for women!) provides helpful resources for you to make informed voting decisions. |
|
 | |
|
 |
|
Project Vote Smart offers a Voter's "Self-Defense" system to provide you with abundant, accurate, and unbiased information about the people who want your vote. | |
Get goingVolunteering gives you a direct, hands-on opportunity to address issues that are important to you. You can find volunteer opportunities right in your own community, across your state, in another part of the country, or around the world. |
|
Do you want to volunteer but aren't sure where to start? By consolidating all of the top major volunteer search engines, Volunteer.gov saves you time and links you to millions of volunteer opportunities in your community and nationwide. |
|
 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Whether you're looking for a job, internship, or volunteer opportunity with a nonprofit, idealist.org is the place to start, with thousands of job opportunities and tips on how to find what you're looking for. | |
Get heardBeing an engaged citizen is about more than just casting your vote. It's about expressing your opinion and taking a stand on the issues you care about. |
|
Want to get your message out? Write a letter to your local newspaper, or post a comment to a blog. Technorati has a listing of the most popular blogs, including ways for you to search for blogs by topic. |
|
 | |
|
Or, better yet, start your own blog -- for free -- on sites like Blogger or LiveJournal. Blogs that deal with local political issues are becoming increasingly important to national debate, and they provide a direct link for citizens to organize and communicate with their elected representatives. |
Get connectedCivic engagement is not just about taking individual action, but joining with others to take collective action. Whether it's volunteering through your church or joining a civic group, there is power in numbers. |
|
 |
|
MeetUp is a great place to find other people near you who are interested in the issues you care about. Search for a local MeetUp group and meet up! | |
|
Do you want to network with others like you, express your ideas through blogs and message boards, learn about issues that are important to you -- all in an online community run by and for youth? If so, YouthNoise is the place for you, with more than 100,000 registered youth from all 50 states and more than 170 countries. |
|
 | |
Get recognizedMillions of Americans are taking an active involvement in the civic life of the country. |
|
 |
Extraordinary service deserves extraordinary recognition. The President's Volunteer Service Award honors volunteers who have devoted a significant number of hours to service. Created by the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, the award has been earned by nearly 500,000 Americans since 2003. Earn an award or honor your volunteers today! | |
|
