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Two faculty members in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences have launched a series of co-curricular events designed to promote civic engagement among young people beyond the classroom. The series is built on the idea that young people are a proven, world-changing polity—and that they are ready to step up and solve problems.

Following a successful “crossover” collaboration last academic year, Sadiyah Malcolm-Wallace, assistant professor of sociology, and Bridgette Davis, assistant professor in the School of Public Policy (SPP), organized a Constitution Day ice cream social that brought undergraduate students together with recent alumni and graduate students working in public policy, local governance and advocacy to explore ways young people can participate in civic life. 

Rather than focusing on the Constitution as an ideal, the “Youth, Democracy & Chill” ice cream social highlighted five recent alumni and three current graduate students who are, as young adults, breathing life into the Constitution by working in public policy, local governance and in organizations seeking to affect policy change. 

Core attitudes among Generation Z, those born in 1997 and later, about civic engagement and collective action center on their concerns about a lack of representation, distrust in institutions and looming economic insecurity, according to the Tufts University Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. Despite these concerns, more than 75% of respondents believe their generation could bring about the change they want to see, if they are given the chance. 

During the social, alumni and graduate student mentors held informal, small-group conversations with students from Malcolm-Wallace and Davis’ undergraduate courses. Speaking as near peers, they described their roles, explained why their work matters to Gen Z, discussed how they engage young people and shared ways students can become involved in issues they care about.

One student said hearing from alumni who were running campaigns or doing advocacy work while living at home or with roommates after college makes it all seem more feasible. 

Alumnus Evan Garber, vice president of Cignoli Associates Inc. and one of the speakers, also praised the event, noting, “This was an awesome way to connect with passionate undergraduate students who are talented and ready to make change.”

Other alumni speakers included Joe Hagopian, senior community development partner at the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission; Jesse Lederman, regional director in the Office of U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey and former Springfield City Council president; Lucy Postera, who managed the campaign for Corinne Coryat in the 1st Franklin District primary; and Nicole Stoddard, field organizer for Lori Childs’ state representative campaign and Grass Roots Academy program director for Brady. 

Graduate student mentors included Caroline Breen, a candidate in SPP’s 4+1 program and an intern for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations; Julia Neufeld, a Master of Public Policy and Administration candidate, summer intern at Western Massachusetts Asylum Support Network, and president of SPP Graduate Student Association; and Amaya Shackley, a Master of Public Policy candidate, research home visitor for the Pioneer Life Sciences Institute, and an intern at Community Collaboration for Children High Point.

The social, an upcoming Crossover Episode II and a public event planned for spring 2027 are supported by the SBS Democracy Project’s first Curricular Innovation Grant. 

To support student engagement as part of the broader project, Davis and Malcolm-Wallace successfully advocated for a student subcommittee, which has blossomed into a thriving group.