Civic Engagement

Study the complex systems that seek to balance feeding a growing population, protecting and preserving natural resources, and sustaining farms financially. Partnerships with local farmers provide weekly, hands-on experience in the fundamentals of running an organic farm while class readings and seminar-style discussions provide a framework for integrating fieldwork experiences with the science of sustainable agriculture.

This hands-on course partners Kenyon students with the Ohio-based Immigrant Worker Project to research cases of people seeking asylum from dangerous conditions of their home countries. Students learn about the complexities of the United States immigration system and the challenges that citizenship seekers face.

How does public opinion impact government policies? What is the role of the news media in elections? Focusing on real-time elections, we will examine the influence American citizens have on their government through political parties and elections. Learning takes place not only in the classroom, but through assisting officials with the Knox County Board of Elections — loading voting machines, directing people during early voting, and getting a behind-the-scenes look at vote processing after the election.

How can what you learn in the classroom benefit real people in the communities around you? This course focuses on the application of psychology to social problems and the social service organizations that support the local population. In addition to regular class meetings and traditional readings, you’ll spend five out-of-class hours each week at Knox County Head Start integrating genuine service experiences into the theoretical framework of your coursework.