What if every college student saw civic participation as part of their education—not an extracurricular?
Montclair State University President Jonathan Koppell wants every student to leave campus knowing they have a role to play in civic life. That belief led him to bring Montclair into the Campuswide Immersion program, weaving civic learning into the student experience instead of treating it as an optional add-on.
“So it does resonate personally. I grew up in a political family. My father was in elected office for most of my life. And so politics has been part of my existence as long as I can remember, literally. But partially because of that and partially because I’m a student of politics, that’s what I’ve studied and I read about history. I have an appreciation, I think, for the ways in which people can control the future by participating in politics. It’s not a game, it’s not a horse race, it’s not entertainment, which is what it’s come to be seen as in sort of popular culture. It is the way in which we make decisions. It is the way in which our future is crafted, and we have an opportunity. We have an opportunity to shape the outcomes if you participate, if you participate. And so I think that there’s an overly strong sense that there’s nothing that an individual can do, and that the future is defined by other people or by forces bigger than ourselves.
I just think that’s generally not true, that individuals can make a difference, and that the people who jump in are the ones who create tomorrow. So I’ve seen that. I’ve seen that my whole life. And so it’s something that resonates with me personally, and I want others to see that possibility.”
By 2029, C&S will bring together 20 million young people to step up as civic problem-solvers. Campus leaders like President Koppell are key to making that possible.
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