April 2000

Virginia Citizenship Institute Comes to George Mason By Emily Yaghmour Concerned about the lack of interest and involvement of young people in political affairs, Greg Werkheiser decided to do something about it: in 1996, fresh out of college, he founded the Virginia Citizenship Institute (VCI) to help promote civic involvement among the young. For the next three years, he and others interested in the mission of the institute worked to design a summer pogram for college juniors and seniors that would inspire them to become civically engaged in Virginia and give them the skills they need to be effective in influencing the political process. Located in Charlottesville, Va., the institute held its first monthlong summer program last year, in partnership with the University of Virginia. This year, Werkheiser graduates with a law degree from the University of Virginia and moves to Washington, D.C., to join a law firm. And the institute is coming with him. George Mason will become the new home of the Virginia Citizenship Institute. Scott Keeter, chair of the Department of Public and Inter-national Affairs, and Jim Barry, visiting associate professor of New Century College and director of Citizenship 2000, have been instrumental in bringing VCI to George Mason. Werkheiser says he was impressed right away with the commitment Keeter, Barry, and the institution as a whole have shown to civic education. In fact, Keeter is interested in forming a George Mason Center for Citizenship. Already, the university has several efforts related to citizenship education. For example, through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, faculty members from Public and International Affairs are working with teachers at Wakefield High School in Arlington to develop a computer-based civic education curriculum. Another example is Barry's semester-long Citizenship 2000 program, designed to stimulate thought about the role universities should play in fostering civic involvement. Keeter envisions a George Mason Center for Citizenship as an umbrella for all activities at the university associated with citizenship. And, as he puts it, VCI would be the cornerstone of that center. While VCI is an independent nonprofit organization, it will be closely affiliated with Public and International Affairs and New Century College. It will be located on the Fairfax Campus, where it will also hold its 2000 summer program, beginning May 28. VCI has several programs, including award programs to recognize individuals who have distinguished themselves through their civic engagement. But VCI's crown jewel is its summer program, which was held last year for the first time. The institute chooses participants for its summer program who are intellectually gifted, have demonstrated leadership qualities, and expect to remain in Virginia after they graduate. It also strives to ensure that the group is diverse, reflecting the composition of the population across Virginia. Last year, 280 students applied and only 30 were selected. Werkheiser was extremely pleased with the institute's first summer program. Not only did students demonstrate great interest and enthusiasm in the program, but after the program ended, 60 percent of the 30 students acquired internships or employment positions through relationships they formed during the program. "VCI has received national attention for its innovative approach to citizenship education," says Werkheiser. Because several states have expressed interest in VCI and its summer program, the institute has proposed a National Citizenship Institutes Project to promote the creation of similar institutes and programs in other states.