Education as Civic Engagement brings together some of the best essays yet published on the history, politics, and hopes for the future of higher education. This is a brilliant collection that is both rigorous and accessible. Given the crucial role that higher education plays in developing the formative culture necessary for critical literacy, social responsibility, and civic engagement, this book is a must-read and should be placed in the hands of all students, policy makers, politicians, social movements, and educators themselves. Gary Olson and Lynn Worsham have once again made a vital contribution to the ongoing conversation on public values, civic engagement, and the meaning and purpose of higher education. - Henry Giroux, McMaster University
Education as Civic Engagement should be read by anyone teaching the democratic skills of critical inquiry, collaborative work, communication, and most certainly by those who prepare teachers for public education where these skills begin to appear in the curriculum. And the ideas in this volume must be discussed in classes that touch on the structure, governance, finance, and history of American public higher education. We cannot go on without understanding the real situations we face. - John W. Presley, Illinois State University