15. Although existing technologies could be used to foster youth inclusion, participation and local civic engagement, most tools are either too complex or lack appropriate functionality for the task.
The Center for Future Civic Media is a collaboration between the Media Lab and the MIT Comparative Media Studies program made possible by a grant from the Knight Foundation. We support research and innovation around civic media, which we define as any technological or social medium that strengthens local communities (like a neighborhood or even a school) through distributing civic knowledge and catalyzing civic action. Civic media strives to empower not just individuals but whole communities--a much more challenging feat, because one must promote mutual respect and solidarity first. Ultimately, civic media done right strengthens the social bonds within a community and creates a strong sense of civic engagement.
