To be actively involved within one's community is to be civically engaged. And to be civically engaged is to be aware of imperfections within the community and to be dedicated to improving that community.

Civic engagement has its own vital role within our society today. Without civic engagement, ideas on how to better the community would never translate to anything because of a lack of voice and action. Through civic engagement, proposals for change can be reviewed and appropriate action can be taken to create an improved living environment for everyone.

Without civic engagement, local communities would be in shambles. It is because of the action that individuals take that communities can thrive with both safety and aesthetics. Civic engagement doesn't only help to improve communities. It also helps to build communities and administer a sense of good will and camaraderie within a community — something that is beneficial to everyone.

Civic engagement is a mechanism with which the average citizen can voice his or her opinions. Through organization and a proactive state of mind, one person has the potential to create change beneficial to this and future generations.

Devon Catalan | Grade 12, Mid-Pacific Institute