Center for Democracy and Civic Life staff received the Outstanding Conference Submission Award at the American Educational Research Association (AREA) SIG 41 Conference in April 2024. The co-authors of "Grounding Civic Education in Civic Life: An Evaluation of the STRiVE Program” are Ricky Blissett ‘11, associate director; Olivia Giuliano ‘24, evaluation and special projects intern; Tess McRae ‘22, coordinator for civic design; and David Hoffman, Ph.D. ‘13, director. They presented their paper during a conference roundtable discussion.

The Center’s study uses a narrative inquiry approach to evaluate the impact of its STRiVE leadership for public purpose program on the development of civic agency in UMBC undergraduate students. Initial findings identify several mechanisms for this effect including (but not limited to) reshaping people's ideas about social change leadership to be inclusive of more diverse strengths, fostering trust and value in community and human society, and developing capacities for understanding and articulating both their own and others' perspectives.

AERA, a national research society, strives to advance knowledge about education, to encourage scholarly inquiry related to education, and to promote the use of research to improve education and serve the public good. The Experiential Education and Community Engagement: Scholarship and Practice SIG is dedicated to bringing together both researchers and practitioners to build and promote understanding of experiential education and critical community engagement for the betterment of the field and the reform of K-16+ education.