Posted: Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Former U.S. Representative Lee Hamilton, director of the Center on Congress at Indiana University, and former Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard will announce results of the 2015 Indiana Civic Health Index at the University of Evansville on Friday, April 3. The event starts at 11:00 a.m. in Room 162 (Harkness Hall), Schroeder School of Business Building, and is free and open to the public.

The 2015 Indiana Civic Health Index is a report that shows how actively citizens engage in their communities and reveals overall civic health through key measurements:
•           Participation in group associations
•           Donation of time and talent through volunteerism
•           Level of confidence in institutions—such as the media or schools
•           Frequency people eat dinner with their family
•           Voter registration and turnout
 
The forward of the report provides an explanation on the importance of civic health: “The American experiment is a testament to a diverse group of people working together… It is this “civic fabric” that holds our country together and makes it strong. Civic involvement does not simply happen however. It takes each generation to demonstrate and teach future generations what it is to be an active, engaged, and enlightened citizen … (the report) seeks to once again measure just how successfully we are doing on this score…Some of these trends are positive and things that we can continue to build on… while others are cause for concern and areas we need to improve.”

The report includes details on community involvement, volunteerism, social connectivity, voter registration and turnout, political involvement and confidence in public institutions. It details how Indiana compares to the rest of the nation and across geographic lines (urban, suburban and rural).

The first Indiana Civic Health index was published in 2011. Four years later, the publication shows the importance of education and the increase in civic participation as education levels increase. The report also explains the improving relationship between civic and economic health.

The full report is available at www.inbf.org. The Indiana Bar Foundation, Indiana Supreme Court, National Conference on Citizenship, Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, Indiana University Northwest and Indiana University Center for Civic Literacy are project sponsors.

For more information on the report, contact Indiana Bar Foundation Executive Director Charles Dunlap at (317) 269-7861 or cdunlap@inbf.org; or Center on Congress at Indiana University Outreach Specialist Phil Duncan at (703) 209-2005 or pduncan@civicatalyst.com. For more information on the April 3 event at the University of Evansville, call 812-488-2241 or 812-488-2236.

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