Civic Responsibility

We want to invest in helping young people grow up to be contributing citizens.

Remember our mission? (If you don’t, here’s a refresher.) To accomplish it, we support the healthy development of children and young people so they can be self-sufficient and capable of achieving economic freedom as adults.

BUT CONSIDER THIS: Economic freedom isn’t possible without a few extremely important things: a democracy in which each citizen’s freedom is guaranteed; open and free markets where individuals can create value through goods and services that benefit others; and the ability for individuals to be philanthropic and share their wealth in the manner they choose.

These things don’t happen by accident. It requires citizens to do their part to maintain and protect them.

That’s why we want to invest in fostering civic responsibility in young people. It’s even spelled out in our founding documents:

“To encourage and foster education at all levels relating to those economic, political, and social relationships and principles which will strengthen democracy and preserve the free enterprise system in the United States.”

So how do we define civic responsibility? We think it’s a set of attitudes and actions that support and uphold the vision and principles of our nation’s Founding Fathers. Understanding those principles can help empower young people to be active in our democracy at the local, state, and national levels.

And it’s at the local level that civic responsibility potentially has the greatest impact. We have long believed in the importance of young people being engaged in their communities, of having a voice, taking the lead, and making a difference. Likewise, we think it’s vital for them to have an understanding of their local government, of the issues affecting their community, and how government and citizens can work together to address those issues — because young people have so much that they can contribute!

When that happens, not only is the entire community made stronger, it strengthens our democracy and helps make it possible for others to achieve economic freedom.

Do you have a program or service that promotes civic responsibility? Will it contribute to a child or young person growing up to be economically free? If so, we’d like to hear from you. Click here to send us your proposal.

Other Resources

Many organizations have been leading the charge when it comes to helping young people learn about and practice civic responsibility in their communities. Here are a few we’ve connected with: