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Youth Civic Health Survey

The YMCA Youth Civic Health Survey is inspired by the National Conference on Citizenship's (NCoC) Civic Health Index, which utilizes indicators of civic health collected by the U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics as part of the Civic Engagement and Volunteerism Supplement of the Current Population Survey (CPS).
Survey Agreement
By completing this survey, you consent to sharing your responses with the YMCA of the USA (The Y). No personal or contact information will be collected beyond demographic data, and all survey responses are anonymous.


Demographic Questions






You may choose one or more, however many apply to you.



Participant Type
If your school is not listed after selecting your state, your school's teacher/advisor has not yet completed the YMCA Civic Health Champion Certification Form. Please email angie.castilleja@ymca.net with any questions. 





















































Do you participate in YMCA Youth and Government?
Survey Questions

Please respond to each of the Youth Civic Health Survey questions below. If you have any additional thoughts you'd like to offer on the civic health of your school or community, you can share them at the end of the survey:
Talking to and Spending Time with Family and Friends
In the past 12 months, how often did you talk to or spend time with friends and family?
Discussing Various Issues with Family and Friends
In the past 12 months, how often did you discuss political, societal, or local issues with friends or family?
Talking to and Spending Time with Neighbors
In the past 12 months, how often did you have a conversation or spend time with your neighbors?
Discussing Various Issues with Neighbors
In the past 12 months, how often did you discuss political, societal, or local issues with your neighbors?
Doing Favors for Neighbors
In the past 12 months, how often did you/your household and your neighbors do favors for each other such as lawn/property maintenance, house sitting, babysitting, lending tools, and other things to help each other.
Doing Something Positive for the Neighborhood
In the past 12 months, did you get together with other people from your neighborhood to do something positive for your neighborhood or the community?
Interacting with Different Racial, Ethnic, or Cultural Backgrounds
In the past 12 months, how often did you talk to or spend time with people from a racial, ethnic, or cultural background that is different than yours? This may have been in person, over the phone, or through the internet or social media. 
Posting About Various Issues on Social Media
In the past 12 months, how often did you post your views about political, societal, or local issues on the internet or social media?
Reading, Watching, or Listening to News
In the past 12 months, how often did you read, watch or listen to news or information about political, societal, or local issues?
Attending Public Meetings
In the past 12 months, did you attend a public meeting, such as a city council, school board, or zoning board meeting, to discuss a local issue?
Contacting a Public Official
In the past 12 months, did you contact or visit a public official – at any level of government – to express your opinion?
Choosing Services Based on Social or Political Values of Companies
In the past 12 months, did you buy or boycott products or services based on the political values or business practices of that company?
Voter Registration
States have different laws for how old you must be to register (or pre-register) to vote. When you become eligible, do you intend to register or pre-register to vote?


Voting
Do you plan on voting in the next presidential election in 2024? (You must be 18 years old on or before Tuesday, November 5th, 2024)

Belonging to Groups
In the past 12 months, did you belong to any groups, organizations, or associations in your school or community (clubs, teams, houses of worship, causes, etc.)?
Number of Groups
How many groups, organizations, or associations in your school or community would you say you have belonged to over the past 12 months?
Volunteering
In the past 12 months, did you spend any time volunteering for any organization or association?
How Often You Volunteer
How often did you volunteer?
Volunteering Hours in a Year
In the past 12 months, approximately how many hours (total over the entire 12 months) did you volunteer?
Addressing an Issue in Your School or Community
If you wanted to help address an issue or problem in your school or community, how prepared would you feel to:






















Additional Thoughts
Are there any additional thoughts you want to share about the civic health of your school or community?
Participant Feedback

As a participant in your state's YMCA Youth and Government program, please complete your survey by providing your feedback on the questions below:
Program Recommendation
As a program participant, on a scale of 0 (Not Likely) to 10 (Very Likely), how likely are you to recommend the Youth and Government program to a friend or peer?
Program Impact
On a scale of 0 (Least Impactful) to 10 (Most Impactful), how does your experience in the Youth and Government program compare to your other extracurricular experiences and commitments?
Personal Growth
Has your participation in the Youth and Government program helped you grow in any of the following areas?








Future Plans
How has your participation in the Youth and Government program impacted your future plans?




Most Important Program Experience
Finally, what would you consider to be the most important/impactful experience you've had while participating in the Youth and Government program?