Raj Vinnakota Urges Muhlenberg Graduates to Build Communities, Not Just Careers
https://vimeo.com/1118777751/ef6a3b7513?fl=pl&fe=vl#t=62m14s C&S President Raj Vinnakota delivered the 2026 commencement address at Muhlenberg College, challenging graduates to resist becoming spectators to their own lives and instead choose participation, community, and civic responsibility. Read the full transcript of his remarks below. I remember sitting in your seat on my own graduation day. Looking around at my […]
New Research Finds Americans Haven’t Turned Against Higher Education—They’re Ambivalent, and Waiting to Be Convinced
Trust in Higher Education Starts Local, a national survey and narrative action report from C&S, reveals that trust in colleges is built neighborhood by neighborhood — and that nearly half of Americans are ready to trust colleges that show up. PRINCETON, N.J. (May 6, 2026) — As college presidents take to podiums across the country […]
Transforming Campus Culture
By Jenn Hoos Rothberg, Executive Director, Einhorn Collaborative This article contains excerpts that have been edited and republished with permission from Einhorn Collaborative. Campuses across the country are confronting a convergence of pressures: concerns over freedom of expression and ideological diversity, rising costs, declining enrollment, a turbulent job market for new graduates, and economic […]
Wyatt & Conversations Across Ages
Wyatt Nako is passionate about having productive conversations about the toughest issues facing our country. On Georgetown’s campus, he helps lead an initiative that brings students together across differences—and through C&S’s Our Voices Summit, he expanded that work across generations as well. “Being able to talk to people of different generations has been very eye-opening […]
C&S Unveils Bold Three-Year Plan to Spark 20 Million Young Civic Problem-Solvers by 2029
PRINCETON, N.J. — February 25, 2026 —The Institute for Citizens & Scholars (C&S) today announced a bold three-year commitment to spark 20 million young people ages 14–24 to step up as civic problem-solvers by 2029—marking a major expansion of its work to help young people turn ideas into action in their communities. The commitment […]
The Civic Generation Podcast: Is Gen Z the New Gen X?
Is Gen Z coming of age in unprecedented uncertainty — or have we been here before? In the premiere episode of The Civic Generation, 19-year-old engineering student Samantha Sandhaus and civic leader Stefanie Sanford, who came of age in the 1970s, compare notes on economic anxiety, political division, and the future of American democracy. Instead […]
Community Work in Times of Crisis
For so many young people, national politics show up in local, everyday ways. This moment has real consequences for their lives and their communities. Still, these Carnegie Young Leaders are finding ways to care for others and stay connected. Hear what they have to say below. Fear is constant, and people are worn down “Many […]
C&S Announces New Youth Advisory Council Members
C&S has named six new members to its Youth Advisory Council. The group brings together young people ages 15–24 from across the United States, who will advise C&S on strategy, programming, and decision-making. Throughout their two-year term, council members share ideas, feedback, and lived experiences with C&S leadership to help shape programs, priorities, and direction. They […]
10 Presidents Join College Presidents for Civic Preparedness
A new group of ten presidents of diverse higher education institutions from across the country have joined the College Presidents for Civic Preparedness, a unique consortium convened by the Institute for Citizens & Scholars. The ten presidents joining the initiative lead diverse campuses: Michael Davis, Fairmont State University Andrew Martin, Washington University in St. Louis Scott Miller, Virginia […]
10 Scholars Expanding Perspectives on the Hispanic Experience
Engaged citizens try to seek information and ideas from multiple sources and perspectives. In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, here are 10 scholars from the Citizens & Scholars network and beyond who are broadening perspectives by highlighting and examining the experiences of Hispanic populations in the United States. Many of these scholars and C&S Fellows are not only expanding our broader understandings through their research, teaching, […]