C&S Annual Report 2025-26

C&S Annual Report 2025–2026

C&S sparks young people to create bold, fresh civic solutions that move our country forward

We believe that civic life gets stronger when more people have the skills and the confidence to participate in it. That belief drives everything: the coalitions we build, the young people we invest in, and the places where the work takes root.

Today, C&S works across campuses, communities, and workplaces to help young people practice three essential civic skills: having productive conversations, using credible information, and collaborating to create solutions. In 2025-2026, C&S reached more than one million students through 142 college presidents, supported 500 Carnegie Young Leaders in creating fresh civic solutions in their own communities, and piloted the new Civics Academy partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to help build more inclusive, collaborative workplaces.

This report shows where that work stands, campus by campus, community by community, person by person. It also highlights who is making it all happen—the young people, educators, and scholars leading the change.

We are proud of what this year represents. And we are just getting started.

"The young people in this report are registering voters, feeding communities, bridging generations, and insisting that their history be taught. None of this work is finished, and none of it is done alone. It moves forward because people across generations decide that the promise of this country is worth the effort of building together."

"History belongs to those who dare to believe in themselves and their communities. Serving in the Youth Advisory Council is not just an opportunity for collaboration it is also a catapult to a more robust civic future for you and your community."

"Each connection may look small: a game of cards, a shared story, a walk outside. But the impact is profound. As these relationships grow, our community will begin to look different: less isolation and more consideration."

"C&S has built something rare: a coalition of presidents willing to lead and implement that change across all facets of their institutions."

"The Faculty Institute allowed me to subtly but meaningfully reshape our first-year program, which reaches every incoming student. Beginning in fall 2026, dialogue-across-difference activities will become a permanent part of the curriculum."

"I create opportunities for the students to be part of the conversation, providing them with a supportive environment to learn from and to be in dialogue with each other, empowering them to find their own voices and draw from their own experiences, and challenging them to listen deeply to others who might hold views different from their own."

C&S grounds its work in research. Here’s what we learned this year:

Gen Z Civic Vibe Check

9 in 10 young Americans care deeply about their communities. The biggest barrier isn’t apathy. It’s not knowing how to start. The Gen Z Civic Vibe Check, C&S's national survey of young people ages 14 to 22, documents what motivates youth civic action and what gets in the way.

Trust in Higher Education Starts Local

74% of Americans trust colleges to do what is right — but 69% believe higher education needs major changes. Americans have not given up on higher education. But trust is no longer automatic: it has to be earned through visible local impact. Released in May 2026 with support from the MacArthur Foundation, this report shows how proximity builds trust and what colleges can do to close the gap between what people expect and what they see.

Ready to move young people's interest into civic action?

Download the full report and connect with C&S to go deeper.

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