Focused Engagement: Lessons Learned from a Study Assessing Campus Climates for Political Learning and Engagement in Democracy

Abstract

Over the past 20 years, colleges and universities have committed to providing students with a wide range of civic and community engagement experiences, but little is known about campus climate for political learning and engagement at higher education institutions. This article examines the key opportunities and challenges associated with planning, recruiting, and conducting focus groups as part of a national project focused on political learning and engagement in democracy at one public Midwestern metropolitan university.