Civic engagement is the essence of a community and the realization of the commitment a person makes to her community. Civic engagement is open to interpretation. However, it involves making an active effort to improve a community on a regular basis.

This could mean volunteering at a homeless shelter, knowing why the work you are doing is important, and taking your work one step further by trying to improve the system you are volunteering in. It's more than volunteering once or twice just to put community service hours on an application.

When a person really gets involved in improving their environment through civic engagement, they also get the chance to improve herself and improve others who will benefit from that help.

Civic engagement is crucial to the livelihood of any group. I will make a personal pledge to Honolulu and America. My responsibility is to try my hardest every day to do what I think is best to keep our state running — to learn about current affairs and to have an opinion. I will work to inform and empower others and help them form their own opinions and make a change.

Takara Sights | Grade 11, La Pietra School