Exploring Civic Engagement

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Alicia Augustin (second from left) and Vikram Sundaram (first from right) researched youth civic engagement in Philadelphia with mentorship from Dr. Rand Quinn (Department of Education) (first from left). This research was supported by the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program.

Alicia Augustin ('26) is a Political Science major and you can read more about her research experience below!

One of my goals for my undergraduate experience was to work with a professional on their research and maybe even start my own project. PURM gave me the opportunity to fulfill this by working closely with Dr. Rand Quinn during the summer of 2024. Our study focused on understanding how young advocates and activists in underserved communities view their roles as civic actors, where they gain civic knowledge, and how they develop civic skills. Through interviews with young community advocates from the Philadelphia area, I learned about what motivates youth to be involved in their communities as well as how they were able to access service opportunities. After cleaning and open coding the interview transcripts, I worked with my research partner to analyze the data through Dedoose, a qualitative data platform. The data showed how passion often intersects with self-interest as a motivator for youth involvement, and how schools and organizations play crucial roles in providing opportunities for civic engagement. This research highlighted the importance of a youth’s community in providing accessible avenues for youth to develop their civic skills and knowledge and contribute to democratic society.

This experience allowed me to develop several skills that will be valuable in my future academic and professional endeavors. First, I learned how to conduct and analyze interviews. This is especially important for my field of research because I want to explore how culturally responsive pedagogy improves student outcomes in schools. A great way to do this is to directly interview students and teachers. I also developed stronger communication skills, which will be crucial in any career path I choose. In addition to learning different qualitative research skills, I was able to make meaningful connections with my mentors and my research partner. My mentor, Dr. Quinn provided invaluable guidance throughout the research process. I learned how to gain approval from the institutional review board (IRB) for our study, create an interview protocol, and conduct effective interviews. As I plan to start my own research during my junior year, I plan to utilize a lot of the tools I learned under Dr. Quinn’s mentorship. My research partner, Vikram, also made the experience enlightening as our different backgrounds brought varied perspectives to our discussions. Additionally, these connections were especially helpful during the challenging moments involved in research.

Vikram Sundaram ('27) is a student in the College of Arts and Sciences and you can read more about his research experience below!

In a generation of change-makers, many students possess strong passions but often struggle to express them effectively. This observation inspired my senior research project, which sought to answer the question, “What socioeconomic and demographic disparities impact the rate of youth civic engagement among Ohio high school students?” Throughout this project, I engaged with youth across my state via surveys and used their responses to conduct comprehensive data analysis. Fast forward to my freshman year of college, as I was scrolling through the PURM project descriptions, I came across a project titled “Mapping Philadelphia’s Civic Learning Ecosystem.” This project had an uncannily similar focus to my senior project, and it was being led by Professor Quinn, whose class I had taken on a whim but had grown to love.

During my PURM experience, I learned how to construct interview protocols, conduct interviews, and code and analyze qualitative data. In each interview, the research team asked a series of questions related to background information, as well as how and why youth members are involved in their community. With participant consent, interviews were recorded and uploaded to an online transcription software. We then conducted open coding, sorting qualitative data into categories curated by the research team, with significant lines being categorized according to their relevance to the study. After coding was completed, we analyzed the consolidated data using tools such as Code Application, which reveals the frequency of codes in specific categories, and Code Co-Occurrence, which identifies potential relationships between categories. Through thorough analysis, we were able to discern themes and make conclusions. Moving forward, I hope to conduct more humanities research that broadly involves human participants. My objective is to conduct research that can positively impact people, and the lessons and skills from this project have provided me with a strong foundation for pursuing this passion.

More interpersonally, my PURM experience allowed me to form connections with influential mentors and the broader Philadelphia community. In addition to further cultivating my relationship with Dr. Quinn, I frequently met with Keri Davenport and Rehana Odendaal, the PhD students working on the project, alongside my co-intern, Alicia. During our mentor check-ins and training meetings, I not only learned about the tangible facets of our research, but I also had the opportunity to ask questions and have conversations related to my education, career goals, and personal aspirations. The close bond between all four of these people made my summer both pleasant and productive. Additionally, through our interviews, I was able to interact with youth activists from all walks of life in the broader community. I spoke with students who identified as nonprofit leaders, aspiring politicians, mental-health advocates, and more. Hearing their stories was incredibly satisfying, as it was refreshing to see the ambition and aspirations that like-minded youth members have for our society.

Interested in reading more first-hand accounts about undergraduate research? Check out the other experiences featured on our Student News Page and Social Media!

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