Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement

The University of Maryland has a research center devoted to civic learning and engagement. The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) researches the causes of civic disengagement among young people between the ages of 15 and 25, as well as factors and initiatives that might encourage increased civic engagement on the part of young people. It has become the nation’s premier research organization on the civic and political engagement of young Americans.

CIRCLE addresses these and other issues by assessing the current state of knowledge about youth civic engagement, by funding research to fill the gaps in that knowledge, and by disseminating information and research findings to practitioners and policy makers as well as interested scholars in disciplines such as political science, sociology, and education. Since 2001, CIRCLE has conducted, collected, and funded research on the civic and political participation of young Americans. CIRCLE is based in the University of Maryland's School of Public Policy and is funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts and Carnegie Corporation of New York.