Apathy/Lack of relevance:

Dislike of politics:

Cultural:

The information-related barriers were cited much more frequently than those related to apathy - although some students talked about how they were interrelated. For example, one of the learners who helped plan the Key to Community project explained, "I didn't understand so I didn't care."

"I didn't think it was that important. Whatever happens, whoever got elected, it wouldn't matter." - Baldwin Park Latina student

"They are disinterested because the information is so hard to understand. They feel stupid." - Merced administrator

"Voting? I'm not into it...there is a lack of people reaching out and explaining why your vote might count." - African American Baldwin Park student

"The materials for elections are overwhelming and indecipherable."
- Sacramento teacher

"Learners feel 'participation in the political process doesn't affect my life.' They are also distrustful of government and used to feeling 'ripped off'."
- San Diego Literacy Coordinator

For many of the new citizens or students working on their citizenship, there are also cultural factors. An instructor in Sacramento said the hardest part of teaching government to her mostly immigrant students is helping them to understand "the voting system and the way we elect our leaders" because of how different their cultures are compared to the United States. Perhaps some of her students voted in their home countries, but it was a very long time ago. She noted that a large group of Laotian students had received their citizenship right before the election, and they did in fact register and vote. She felt that the Key to Community workshop was part of the information that helped them make this decision. "At first, not that many are that excited to become a citizen until they understand the concepts of democracy."

Barriers to participation

The barriers to participation for community involvement were consistent with the major themes that emerged in relation to voting.

Lack of information:

Many students were not aware of how to get involved in community activities. If they had a concern, they did not know what steps to take or what sources to contact. For example, a young mother in Baldwin Park had articulated a concern about gangs but said "I would really like to know where to direct myself or who to direct myself to" to work on this issue.

"I'm concerned about the young people and gangs but I don't know what to do, how to get people organized." - another Baldwin Park woman

"I would really like to get involved but I don't know about anything going on and don't know how to find out." - Berkeley woman

"Who would I go to to speak about the homeless, the streets being unclean, or writings on the wall? I wouldn't know who to contact." - Sacramento woman

Lack of connection:

Another fundamental impediment to community involvement is a lack of attachment to the issues, not understanding how they impact one's own life. Often, this lack of attachment appeared to be associated with a lack of connection to others in the community -- which in turn contributed to a sense of hopelessness.

"Many of our students lead very difficult lives. They're coming from: 'I've got all these realities pressing in on me. How will this make any difference?" - Sacramento teacher

"You take a stand by yourself and you see [the neighbors] in the background and they have no voice and they don't really seem to care...I've just moved when that's happened."
- Berkeley woman

"95% of the students don't get the paper but they use it in class and like it. They need to be introduced to the situations...When they hear some success stories from local people where change has occurred, sometimes they will believe it is possible."
- Chula Vista Administrator

Lack of self-confidence:

Several students did not feel that they had attained an adequate level of 'competence' to make them able to help others. These students tended to be embarrassed about their perceived lack of skills and these feelings were exacerbated by a lack of information about how to proceed.

"I have a lot of interests, but I'm not capable or qualified... I wouldn't know where to start. I wouldn't have anything to offer." - Berkeley woman

"I'm not active or involved. I'm just an everyday person." - Sacramento man

A Baldwin Park student says she has no affiliations "because no one has asked me to join." She has never worked with others on community problems because she has "never been aware of anything going on." She said she does not talk to others about what is going on, because she is afraid they would ridicule her for not knowing much about what is going on. This young woman is caught in self-fulfilling vicious cycle if there is no invitation for her to participate and a "safe" environment where she can overcome her fear.

Cultural Factors:

The site coordinators also shared that cultural background can discourage other types of civic involvement besides voting. An administrator at Rancho Santiago College has many students from Mexico where she says "both money and education are essential to someone feeling they have a right to get involved in community activities. It just doesn't occur to them that they might be able to get involved."

The coordinator at Baldwin Park added that involvement has been associated with "danger" for many of these students in the past. She also commented on the role of gender for immigrant students. For some female ESL students, developing their own point of view on political issues might not be supported at home. As an example of this limited autonomy, one man regularly attended a class where he was not a student to keep an eye on his wife who was.

Site Coordinator Perspective on Barriers

Observations of the site coordinators confirmed the similarities between the barriers to both types of participation that surfaced in the student interviews. The factors they cited most frequently were:

- apathy, not knowing that one person/one vote can make a difference
- fear of the process, not knowing what to do
- being overwhelmed by the language
- poor self-esteem

Many of the site coordinators particularly emphasized the issues of fear and embarrassment. Several explained that so many of their students had already had unsuccessful experiences learning new things and therefore felt labeled as 'stupid' or 'incompetent'. Hence, these students have a greater than average need for reassurance that they will be successful in undertaking a new task.

"They are very afraid of making a mistake....The students do have opinions about the issues and they know the importance of voting but the fear of 'doing it wrong' is holding them back." - Rancho Santiago Coordinator

"They really need to understand why they should vote, why they should take the trouble, what is the process for doing it, especially what is okay to do and what is not okay to do...not wanting to appear stupid about it." - Sacramento Regional Coordinator

"[The barrier is] fear! They don't feel they're capable of getting involved."
- San Jose Coordinator

The intimidation about the act of voting that many of the site coordinators referred to was greater among the young people and those with less education. Respondents who voted in the November 5th election were asked how they felt about the voting process:

The site contacts also shared that they saw an interrelationship between all four of these barriers to involvement. For example, the contact at Rancho Santiago Community College touched on all the cited barriers while expressing a concern that it was unrealistic to expect an increase in community involvement after two sessions:

"The joining of community groups takes time...it happens when there is an issue they care about, and they need specific practical steps to understand how to get involved. Many of our students come from families or backgrounds where they have no experience with community involvement and need a lot of guidance in terms of knowing who to call, where to go and what to do."

"The students need more forums, they need to be exposed to the issues and that will empower them in understanding the power of voting, trying to spark that vision. After that, they need guidance and information so they will know where to go next."
- Sacramento teacher

"Some learners are not in a place where participating is something they see as important...Their low self-esteem contributes to their fear of sharing ideas."
- Santa Fe Springs coordinator

Probing Excuses

In the post-election questionnaire, the eligible respondents who decided not to vote were asked why they decided not to. The most common response was "no time/too busy." Other answers were "confusing wording/phrasing" and "unclear on procedure/exactly what to do." The 'too busy' answer was also the most common response in other California surveys of the Fall 1996 election like the Field poll.

In the qualitative interviews, the 'too busy' excuse as a reason to avoid involvement did not hold up under follow up questioning. For example, the Chinese woman who felt uncomfortable about her English language skills first said that she did not get involved in community activities because she was "too busy". After probing, she admitted that her real reason for not participating was that she was "really afraid that I won't understand what is going on."

"My husband's not in good health so I can't be active in the community now" was the explanation of a Marin woman. But she indicated a desire to get involved "in the future because I would feel better about myself if I could do something for the community."

"I've been ill...if I get involved I'll get sick again, so I've had to cut back. I wish there was another way I could do it without getting emotionally involved," was the pre-workshop claim of a middle-aged Berkeley woman. After the workshop, she gained enough confidence to say she wanted to get involved after all. "I don't know my neighbors and the workshop gave me the courage to go up and speak to people."

"You have to show some initiative to get involved and I don't have time" said a Sacramento man before the forum. Nonetheless, for this election, he reached out to family and friends and "got a lot of people to vote."

In the pre-forum interview, another man in Sacramento shared, "I could get involved in community organizations but it takes too much time." In the post-election interview, he mentioned that he has gotten involved in eliminating porn-related stores in his neighborhood. "That's different because it's affecting the kids...the kids hear about it and it's different than worrying about who's in office - it affects me in a personal way."

Top

A sense of connection, information for action and self-confidence were three principle factors that led to the decision to become involved.

The students/learners who became active during the course of this project, or were already active, shared three key attributes:

First, the following quantitative data and associated quotes provide an overview of how these three factors related to reported behavior in this study. Next, we examine the specific way each of these critical factors emerged from the Key to Community activities.

As noted earlier, there was a high correlation between those who voted and those who felt they had enough information to make their voting decisions. Similarly, those respondents who felt that they knew where to get information on community problems were much more likely to be involved with a community group:

A young Hispanic woman in Baldwin Park has not gotten involved in any groups or initiatives although she has ideas about what she would like to change: "To be heard, you have to know something about what you are going to say and I need to learn. I know I need to speak out, but I don't know where to go."
Conversely, another Baldwin Park woman who is not yet a citizen reported being very active in the local elementary school, community center and in her housing complex. This woman described a well-developed set of information gathering skills and networks and said "I like finding the answers."

Two different questions measured a sense of "individual agency". The first was whether "ordinary people can make a difference in the community they live in" and the responses below were those answering: "definitely." Another question focused on whether the respondent felt that they as an individual (rather than just any individual) had something important to offer their community:

In addition to the behavior of being involved with a community group, the survey also asked three questions intended to measure one's sense of connection to issues and the community: Have you worked with others to solve a community problem? How often do you talk to others about issues of concern in the community? and How active are people in your neighborhood in making it a better place to live? Not surprisingly, those respondents who were involved with a community group scored significantly higher on these measures.

However, it is interesting to note that age and education were less important in determining responses to these questions. This suggests that, unlike the concrete behaviors of voting and getting involved, these "perspectives of connection" may be more attainable to those people who are currently less involved.

The qualitative data suggested that lack of confidence is related to lack of connection. Based on the responses of the students, those with low self-esteem often held themselves back from interacting with others. This self-imposed isolation appeared to keep them from information and contacts that might have been motivating. A Sacramento administrator observed: "Sometimes they just need a little push or to know they are not alone. So many students think 'I'm the only one' because they graduated without having the skills they needed or they dropped out. All those miserable memories they have about school. I want them to know it doesn't have to be that way and that there are lots of other people in the same position."

Exposure to others in community involvement can lead to a range of action steps. One Berkeley woman said "I decided to start voting because I was working on a committee at the school board and decided that I needed to learn more about it and go and vote and make my efforts more worthwhile...I started talking to people in the neighborhood and going to the library [for information]."

One of the hypotheses of the Key to Community project has been that talking to others and becoming more aware of community activities can be an important path for the disenfranchised to gain the information and confidence associated with more concrete actions of involvement. The evidence described below relating to the element of connection, then information and confidence, supports this sequence of motivators.

However, in interpreting these findings, it should be kept in mind that these factors are interrelated in practice. A Berkeley woman said she gained courage from the issues discussion and workshop and said that one of the things that helped her was hearing "what other people said about how they go about it" in attending neighborhood meetings, listening to people, getting phone numbers, etc. However, her perceived lack of skills still held her back. "The workshop and library program have given me the idea to help in the schools but I can't start until I can read better." She expressed a fear that even if she went to "help with arts and crafts or playground that teacher might ask me to take over the class while she goes to the office or something or might ask me to read a story and I can't do that now." In the face of these concerns, she talked about returning to school to get her GED so she can be comfortable helping out at school. In this case, her sequence of involvement went from connection to confidence from information to the need for more information for more confidence -- in preparation to be willing to increase connection.

Voting is not about winning; it is about participating

The overlap between the motivations for voting and the motivations for other forms of community involvement is underscored by the way participants did not view voting in terms of "needing to win" to make it worthwhile. In fact, they talked about voting in terms of participating and expressing oneself. One woman described voting as "if we all do our best and become registered voters, that's one means of having things done. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't" but that did not seem to diminish her belief in the process.

A new citizen said that the only thing she doesn't like about voting is that "I don't always get what I want. I vote for things and they lose or vote against them and they win...but I still use my chance."

A young Berkeley man involved in community organizing was disappointed with the outcome of some of the ballot measures, but said, "There's still time to work on the things that didn't happen."

If typical, these responses should suggest an optimistic outlook for those involved in voter education. If voting were only attractive to new voters as long as they could count on a certain result, then there would be many one-time only voters. Instead, many of these students saw voting as just one of a full range of involvement behaviors which was worthwhile regardless of the ultimate outcome.

Importantly, these feelings were also reflected by potential future citizens. Some of the more active students encountered in this study were not yet citizens and therefore were not voters. However, in many cases, this status did not impede a perception of the importance of getting involved.

A 35 year old mother of two small children came to Baldwin Park from Mexico. When there was a school bond measure that affected her children, "I made a lot of phone calls and went to a lot of meetings to help pass the bonds." She reported that she provides information to her neighbors, especially the ones who do not speak English very well. "It is important to help my community and my people. I want to tell people not to be afraid."

Another Hispanic woman in Baldwin Park said she attended the forum and the voting workshop because " I want to become a citizen and vote. I want to live here and want to be able to choose things and get involved and help make changes."

In Santa Fe Springs, the coordinator reported that one of the learners came to him after the workshop and said, "I'm not a citizen but I've been living here for 25 years. Now I want to get my citizenship and help out in the community to try to get more people involved. It's important to do that."

Top

Specific characteristics of the forum discussion appeared to facilitate these connections.
A critical factor in encouraging participation was the creation of a "safe" atmosphere. This type of facilitated discussion with groundrules was a completely different experience for many of the students.

Connecting to the issue

The students who participated in the issues discussions both appreciated the chance to say what was on their mind as well as learn from others. For example, a young woman who attended the forum on juvenile violence in Baldwin Park: "it helped a lot to hear other opinions. It made me think about my own opinions." As a newcomer to Baldwin Park, she said, "it helped me learn about the community."

A Berkeley woman attended the issues discussion and writing/voting workshop "because I hadn't been to one and wanted to see what it was like." She said she "loved it. There were other ideas besides mine about what to do in the neighborhood and what we could do to benefit education. I liked it because two heads are better than one.'

In the post-election questionnaire, four out of five students who recalled the specific forum discussion said they became more interested in the topic as a result of the forum. The students who directionally had the greatest increase in interest and understanding of the forum topic were from groups less likely to be involved -- i.e. non-citizens, young people, and the students with less education. This may be related to the fact that they have less access and exposure to information on these topics from other sources. It may also be that conversation is a more comfortable way to attain information for students who are less likely to read for pleasure or get a newspaper.

Expressing oneself

Many students felt a key benefit of the forum was a chance to express oneself. One African American woman from the Berkeley program said "we can't just always complain. If we have the opportunity to voice our desire to have things changed, why not join the club?"

"I feel good when I express my point of view - at least I've let someone know."
- Berkeley woman

"It's important that you be heard, how you feel. If you don't, you don't exist."
- Baldwin Park student working toward citizenship

"Students enjoyed being able to share their viewpoints with others and realized the value of expressing their opinions." - Santa Fe Springs Coordinator

The demand for other points of view/context/connection to the political system

Many of the students volunteered that they had a desire to get multiple points of view to help them make up their mind. They indicated that the issues discussion was an excellent means to help them do this:

"[The forum] was interesting...firsthand, a chance to hear what other people think...I like having something else to think about, a new perspective."
- Berkeley woman

"[The value in hearing other points of view] is that you know the other people better and then know how to deal with them." - Sacramento woman

The site coordinator at a community college in Orange County has a high proportion of immigrant students. They were impressed to find out that there were more than two political parties. She said the forum helped them learn that "it's important to talk about the issues and that people have differing opinions and they all can be correct."

Right after the forum in Sacramento, one of the students told one of the peer moderators that she liked the forum because "it helps you open your mind." The learner moderator responded, "Yes, and then you can dare to see the whole picture."

For those students who are used to gathering information through reading, there is also the recognition that different points of view are essential making up one's mind. A more advanced student said he prepared for the election "by reading everything I could, even if I didn't agree with it."

"I usually get my information from the newspaper or TV. It's always one-sided. All points of view are not represented. It's kind of a bummer...I talk to people at the karate school after class to get more points of view to help better my judgment. It's important to help you make a more educated decision." - Sacramento man

Some of the site coordinators observed that the forum discussion helped students discover how they, and the issues, relate to the larger political system.

"A lot of connections were being made between what they are voting for and the consequences. [As part of the forum] the students learned how voting and involvement affects their lives." - Sacramento Regional Coordinator

"Forums are what bring the whole democratic process home. It makes it real for [the learners.]" - Solano County Coordinator

Making connections with others

After connecting to the issue, a second equally important connection was the creation of an awareness of the individual's relationship to other people on a given issue. For these students, dialogue helped to overcome isolation and facilitated a realization or sense of belonging to a community. In turn, this sense of community, and exposure to people who are interested and engaged, built hope and a belief in the possibility of change for the better.

Talking to others and becoming involved appears to be highly correlated with awareness of positive, hope-inspiring developments in one's community. As illustrated in the quantitative survey, two thirds of the students who are involved with a community group answered that "people in your neighborhood are [very or somewhat] active in making the community a better place to live." This compares to only one-third of the students who are not involved in a community group.

'[Dialogue like the issues discussion is] an important part of solving things...it promoted understanding."
- Baldwin Park student, mother of three

"Unity happened. It was amazing to see how people came together, especially when they realized they couldn't have everything."
- Merced Coordinator

The very few participants in the case studies who exhibited only very little movement as a result of the program indicated that they never talk to neighbors or family and deliberately choose to isolate themselves. A 19 year old African American male said he is not aware of anyone in his community trying to do anything. He expressed no hope: "Less people are getting involved. It's not getting better...I don't think anybody cares anymore because when they try, nothing happens anyway...I don't know anyone in my community...I don't talk to anybody."

An 18 year old in Sacramento said he does not talk to others or think about community issues. "I'm not active in any group. I don't know of any groups or where they are. I go to school and come home. I don't know what I'm interested in."

For some students, the isolation was not self-imposed but based on language skills. One Hispanic man in Baldwin Park shared that: "I'm embarrassed about my English and shy to speak to others. I don't know if other people are getting involved. The news doesn't really cover where I live so I don't really know what's going on or if anything is going on. I don't talk to anyone about what is going on in the neighborhood, just "hi, how're you doing'."

On the other hand, the students who talked about interactions with others in their community had a much more positive outlook. For example, a woman in Sacramento believed "more people are getting involved." She described her neighborhood as "a small community and we talk about how to make the place cleaner, safer. We have meetings, informally, bump into neighbors and talk. I feel better when I talk to the neighbors because I know that everyone wants to improve the community."

An African American woman said that she gets most of her information from talking to people on her street: "I get peace of mind from talking to them. I get to feel that it's just more than me caring for other people and caring for their families."

The power of this connection with other people was articulated by the young man in the Berkeley program who expressed disappointment with other young people who are not involved. He said he likes to ask them, "If you don't know what's going on, how do you know it won't make a difference? Give yourself a chance to find out first."

An older man with the same program said "I learned about Neighborhood Watch because I was complaining with the neighbors and someone suggested we do this and we did. I was one of the founders. I'm on the board."

The increase in hope from interacting with others was summarized by one of the participants at the Baldwin Park forum on juvenile violence. After creating their shared common ground and a list of possible actions the group could take locally, a student said: "If we all get together, things can get better."

The need for a safe environment

Both students and site coordinators commented that one of the reasons the forum was able to serve as a catalyst to involvement was that it provided a safe, welcoming atmosphere that promoted inclusion and assured participants there would be no ridicule.

One man in Sacramento said that he does not usually participate in issues discussions: "I'm more a listener than a talker...I feel a lot of people don't care what you think so I don't usually express myself unless they ask." He was pleased that at the issue forum on jobs "the lady sounded like she really wanted to hear our opinions. I listened more than I participated but people had a lot of good ideas."

For the Chinese woman concerned about her limited English-speaking skills, participating in the issues forum was facilitated because it "was students from the school and I know them. If I go to other meetings and one person next to me is a doctor and one is a lawyer, what will I say to them? They could cheat me."

A woman in Berkeley had stopped participating in issue-related discussions because of bad experiences in the past: "Sometimes it would be a downright dispute and people would have an argumentative mentality." When asked before the forum if she had ever been part of a discussion with a moderator and ground rules for the group, she said, "no, I guess I was just talking to the wrong people at the wrong time." This woman ended up enjoying the issues discussion in Berkeley because it was a chance "to share information and exchange knowledge, thoughts and ideas... to be around other people" in a non-threatening environment.

Another woman was energized by the same issues discussion and said it would give her courage to speak up to neighbors. "The people there seemed like they really cared and that made me feel better about myself. They weren't phony."

An instructor in Sacramento was impressed with the amount of participation at the forum. She noted that her students are "ready to talk. They have opinions and want to express them" -- but to actually get them to speak out in such a large group, it was critical that the moderators created an environment that really promoted participation, "where no one is wrong." She noted that the students "trusted" the moderators and that it definitely helped that the moderators were adult learners and ethnic minorities.

At the small forum on education in Solano County, one participant had a hearing impairment. The program director noted that "he was only able to participate because the other members of the group were concerned enough to make sure he knew what was going on. No one just sat and listened."

In the forum at Willows, a male student commented to another who was shy and afraid to voice her opinion that nothing she said could possibly be stupid. The coordinator felt "the fact that he wanted to hear what she had to say solidified his own confidence in speaking out and at the same time, empowered her to do the same."

New type of experience for younger people

In the post-election questionnaire, the students who recalled the issue forum were asked how it compared to other discussions they've participated in. The forum discussion was a new or different experience for three out of four respondents, and for all of the participants who were age 18 to 24. The data also showed that about one in four Hispanic students said they had never attended a discussion like this compared to only one in ten among the Anglo respondents.

The respondents who said the issue forum was different than other discussions were asked "how was it different?" The main open-ended responses were: "informative/learned new things", "many opinions expressed/many viewpoints" followed by "helpful approach/took time/listened/answered questions."

An African American 19 year old at Baldwin Park was hesitant at first to join in the discussion on jobs, "I was afraid that my friends were going to laugh at me because of what I said. But then I decided I don't care what they think." He ended up making several comments and reported that his friends told him, "You are a good speaker, you should be a counselor." He was pleased about this and proceeded to participate in discussions about the ballot measures in other classes, which he felt were "some interesting conversations." He said the discussion at the workshop "got me involved in it."

Another young woman at the same program said "I thought we were going to sit there and hear people talk at us. But instead, everybody participated...I learned that there's a lot of people out there who need information like I do and I can help them with that."

A young man who attended the forum on juvenile violence commented, "you get to hear what other people say. I've never been in anything like that." He enthusiastically recruited some of his friends to attend the voting workshop the following week. He told them, "It's something different. You get to participate."

At the California Conservation Corps in Ventura County, about 30 young people came voluntarily one evening to a forum about juvenile violence. The group represented a wide range of ethnic backgrounds and experiences. The Ventura site coordinator described the incoming attitude of these youth as "cynical; they grew up hearing 'it doesn't make any difference'." In moderating the forum, she noted that she needed to spend extra time emphasizing the groundrules. "What really worked was getting them together to talk to each other and respect each other. They needed practice in listening as well as speaking up." The voting workshop was held the following night, again as a voluntary activity. Almost all of the forum attendees decided to come back, along with a few new students, testimony to the positive experience they had had at the forum.

In addition to the change from the classroom, some of the students mentioned that they have little opportunity to interact with others. One young woman explained that she doesn't talk to many people because "the people in my apartment complex keep pretty much to themselves."

The forum experience was also new for many of the more mature students. The Berkeley Coordinator said one student who is over forty was excited by the discussion because "This was new for [him]. He never had a setting where he could share his opinions and be respected for what he said."

A Baldwin Park woman said there should be more forums like this in the community. "People are interested but don't know where to go."

Top

"I started seeing how hard it is for our community to get informed so I began passing the word around and pulling people into the information." - Hispanic student in Berkeley

"Many students are not able to understand the material due to lack of skills and thus have to rely on the word of mouth of others rather than reading the information for oneself."
- San Diego Literacy Coordinator

Information Needs

Many of the students indicated that they came from households or backgrounds where voting was not modeled for them. Therefore, some did not appear to have some very basic information about the voting process.

"If you're 18, aren't you just eligible to vote?" - Sacramento student who thought he was automatically registered upon turning 18

"I didn't know that all you have to do is just fill out the form to get registered."
- Sacramento woman

" I started voting one year after I became a citizen. I wanted to wait a while because I needed to get up the courage. My English is not good and when I went to the polls I didn't know what they were talking about and wasn't sure what to vote for."
- Chinese student in Sacramento

"Many of the learners forgot they registered and wondered if they have to do something or go somewhere when they get this card in the mail. My hairdresser said she doesn't want to go the polls because she doesn't know what to do." - Oakland Literacy Coordinator

Many of the students who were experienced voters also expressed feelings of confusion and frustration about preparing to vote, especially on the ballot measures. A 38 year old man who said that he has been voting for 15 years commented that sometimes he understands "very little of them and the way you vote sometimes doesn't make sense. A yes sometimes means no and a no sometimes means yes."
A woman in Baldwin Park said she does not have any trouble using her Sample Ballot to find where her polling place is, but, "reading up on the laws and studying the pamphlet...it's hard to read."

A Berkeley woman has been a voter for a while but said "I feel nervous about getting ready to vote because I don't want to make the wrong decisions." She expressed her feeling that there is not enough information available. "Some of it is sketchy and you have doubts and want to know more."

The adult learners who designed the Key to Community voting workshop wanted to make it useful for both new voters as well as current voters who want to be more informed. The team came up with the following main points that are covered in the workshop:

- discussion of why/why not vote
- who is eligible
- information re: political parties**
- how to register
- what happens at the polls (plus the option of voting by mail)
- how to get information to make your voting decisions
- tips to make the voting process easier

One of the key messages that the peer presenters have tried to emphasize is that going to vote is not like taking a test at the Department of Motor Vehicles (one of the public institutions that most of the students have had experience with). The presenters explained that one can take his or her "answers" into the polling place, vote on as many or as few items as desired and ask for help if needed.

In the post-election questionnaire, people were asked what they recalled about the voting workshop. The following were open-ended responses:

- voting information/how to register and vote (42%)
- importance of voting (22%)
- information on propositions/issues (7%)
- information on political parties (6%)
- information on candidates (5%)
- not necessary to vote on everything/vote still valid (5%)

Information can be motivating

In addition to filling in critical gaps in their knowledge about the voting process, the information and perspective of the Key to Community workshop seemed to serve as a source of motivation for many of the students.

"The workshop showed me that one vote could make a difference." - New voter

"It was nice knowing I didn't have to vote on everything."
- Sacramento woman, new voter

"The workshop addressed learners' feelings of powerlessness. The non-threatening manner in which the information was presented made the students feel comfortable. Knowing they didn't have to vote on everything, the students walked away saying, "I can do this!"
- San Diego Literacy Coordinator

"The workshop provided the "how to" answers to the basic questions about the voting process. People gained the skills needed to become involved as active citizens."
- Santa Fe Springs Literacy Coordinator

"The clear concise information about the 'how-to's made the voting process easier to understand. Many didn't know that there were more than two political parties or that they didn't have to vote on everything." - Merced teacher

A 48 year old woman at Baldwin Park said that she used to only vote for President, but "at school we discussed the propositions so we can understand them... They went step by step with us at school, it really helped." She said that she felt better about voting this year because of the support from her instructor at school, "that's why this year I felt really good." She also said that she discussed the issues with her family. "We all sat down at the table and discussed before we filled out our ballots... Now I'm more interested in what is going on - maybe because of school."

"Some who were unable to attend the workshop but heard about it, wished they had attended because they heard such good things. Students not only tackled their fear of the unknown, but they began to think about issues on their own, participating in conversations around politics and matters affecting their communities. They were excited to vote!" - Merced administrator

Amount of information

The Key to Community workshop was also designed to provide the 'minimum necessary information to act' without overwhelming learners. The key contact at the Santa Fe Springs program thought that it was a good idea that the workshop was not in-depth on any one aspect of the topic: "[Any] more information would have been too much...Learners need just enough information to act, but not too much or that paralyzes them [from acting].

"A little information so they can take one or two steps, a little more information so they can take four or five steps and so on." - Berkeley man

"If they need help, I go and help. I'm not an organizer. You tell me what to do and I'll do it." - Sacramento woman

"I liked how the workshop gave really specific information I could take home and share with others." - Sacramento man

One topic not covered in the workshop or Easy Reader Voter Guide was the electoral college system because the adult learner team thought it was not essential for participation in the election. One of the students in Sacramento said she learned about the electoral college from a friend at school: "It made me less interested in voting for President. Why am I voting for President if I don't really get that choice?" In this case, this additional information was demotivating for her.

In the other portion of the Key to Community curriculum -- How to be Heard and Make a Difference which was not assessed in this study -- a team of adult learners also devised a set of 'minimum necessary' steps to identify and take action on an issue of concern in one's community.

Top

The Key to Community Voting workshop was designed to build self-confidence via the 'how' of presentation as well as the content discussed in the last section. The main characteristics of the presentation intended to support this objective are:

- accessible language and reading level
- peer presenters, acting as role models
- a multi-sensory approach to enhance comprehension across a range of learning styles, including interactive exercises, skit and video
- hands-on practice, skill-building and role-playing
- user-friendly handouts
- personal follow-up support (provided by the convening organizations)

"The medium is the message. If the goal is to have people participate, then the format that best reinforces that goal has them participating throughout."
- Key to Community presenter

Overall format

The peer moderators and interactive format appeared to be particularly successful features of the workshop.

"Students felt empowered because they gained information in a multi-sensory, small group environment." - Chula Vista convenor

"The way the people presented it, and how they got involved with everyone. They made us feel really comfortable." - Baldwin Park woman

"The only way some of these learners' fears will be alleviated is if others [like themselves] show them that they survived the system and getting involved is okay...The Key to Community forum and workshop showed my students that they have the power within themselves to change things they care about." - Willows Coordinator

"The students respond best to people they know and respect. They are more willing to accept information from people they trust. They are watching people to see if their actions and words coincide." - Baldwin Park Coordinator

"The workshop addressed their feelings of powerlessness and demystified the voting process by providing good information. They walked away feeling they could do this!"
- San Diego Literacy Coordinator

One result of this "safe" environment was an increase in the sense that individuals really can make a difference. Among attendees, there was a 15 percentage point gain in those who answered "definitely" to the question "Can ordinary people make a difference in the community they live in?" This compares to only a three point gain among those did not attend.

Practice with speaking up

One of the skills that students were able to practice in the forum and workshop was expressing themselves. This experience with 'speaking up' about what was on their mind seemed to build personal confidence for many of the learners.

"One of my students has Lupus disease and rarely speaks up in class. I've never seen her more active and engaged in anything before. Usually she is very quiet, hardly ever saying a thing. You must have hit a topic she cares about. Maybe she'll be more inclined to speak out now that she sees her voice means something." - San Jose teacher

"I would go again because I don't speak up to other people and if I keep going it would give me courage to speak up to neighbors...the workshop gave me more self-esteem about myself. I don't hold my head down as much as I used to. I have some kind of conversation I can have with a person." - Berkeley woman

"They need to get used to talking to peers about the issues. In Berkeley there is a lot of pride. It is not okay to talk about politics and religion. There is discomfort with talking about these issues in public." - Berkeley Coordinator

"It was good for her to see other people, besides me, encouraging her to speak. I think this boosted her self-esteem tremendously." - Willows Coordinator

"Before participating in the forum, they didn't really see that their voices mattered. They also learned the value of being open-minded, listening to one another and respecting rules for discussion." - Ventura Coordinator

Role-playing

Another factor that appeared to support an increase in the students' comfort level with taking action was the visual step by step demonstration of the voting process. This was provided via skit, role-playing, video and handouts with photographs illustrating what happens at a polling place.

"If they are physically not shown and made to feel comfortable with the process, most likely they won't get involved." - San Jose Coordinator

"Many students were fearful about the process of voting and found the workshop very reassuring. Several of the students voted for the first time and a common comment was "I did it and it was just like John (the workshop presenter) showed us.' "
- Site coordinator at Rancho Santiago Community College

"At the meeting they showed us how to do it. They role played and so I felt comfortable."
- a new citizen/voter in Baldwin Park

The man who convinced his wife to vote for the first time accompanied her to the polls "for the comfort of having somebody with you walking into the strange environment where you don't know anybody." The personal element at the polling place also matters to even more experienced voters, like the student who said he votes at the polls because "I feel I'm going somewhere where they really want me to do this and I feel good about it."

A site coordinator in Northern California said that what was important about the combined forum and workshop was that students got "basic knowledge about choices and the skills they need to actually participate."

The role of the personal invitation

In addition to the supportive environment of both the forum and voting workshop, an important factor in encouraging and increasing comfort with participation for some students was the perception of personal invitation from someone they respect and trust. For some students, attendance at the forum/workshop was required by class, but for others the decision to attend appeared to be very much related to how they had been invited and by whom. A 47 year old woman who has rarely attended events at the Berkeley Reads Literacy Program said she came to the Key to Community workshop because she was invited by another student who was one of the presenters: "I wasn't sure what it was about, but I was curious."

"Learners hesitate to go to meetings when they don't know what is expected of them...One-on-one contact is the most effective way to get learners involved."
- Commerce Literacy Coordinator

The role of the personal invitation also seemed to apply to the broader question of getting involved:

Asked if he had ever worked to solve a local problem, a man in Sacramento said "I would, but no one ever asked me."

A student who serves on the Baldwin Park advisory committee said she does so "because a teacher asked me."

This effect of a personal invitation may also be accomplished via a feeling of personal connection to a public figure, as illustrated by 38 year old African American man with the Berkeley program who was not able to attend the workshop, but shared that a seminal experience for him was to hear Jesse Jackson "give an incredible speech in the 80's. It motivated me when he said you can sit by as a spectator or you can get into this game." This description suggests that this man felt he had been "personally" invited by Jackson to be an active participant in his community. He reported that he began voting regularly after that and also helped found a Neighborhood Watch group.

Specific findings about each key program element

Forum

In the Key to Community issues forums, adult learners served as the neutral moderators. They helped define the topic, set groundrules with the group and lead a discussion of three or four choices on the topic. A major focus was on encouraging participation from as many attendees as possible. At the end of the discussion of the choices, the group was asked to identify common ground and also next steps they would like to take.

For many of the students, the format of the issues discussion was a welcome change from the standard class format, which in adult education often emphasizes individual activities. One young woman in Sacramento explained, "we don't talk to people at school." She liked the issues forum on jobs because "we all got together and said what we thought. It's a way to find out that other people think differently than you."

Another young man at Baldwin Park who said his participation in the forum was his first experience speaking up thought they should have "these conversations at different schools. It should get them motivated too. They think the system is so corrupt, but there are two sides to the story. You need to see both sides."

An instructor who attended one of the combined sessions indicated that "I think establishing groundrules, especially respecting other, is very valuable. Also, I now understand how important it is to acknowledge what everyone says, even if you don't think it's a good idea."

An administrator at Rancho Santiago Community College commented: "The students were extremely engaged. It took them a while to warm up but they were captured by the subject. There were several students who don't usually participate in class but they did in the forum. Others referred to the forum in their journals in later classes."

Workshop

In the survey, the students who recalled attending the voting workshop were asked both how informative and how enjoyable it was. On a four point scale, 94% agreed that it was either very or somewhat informative. 98% said it was either very or somewhat enjoyable.

While there are no significant differences, it appears that the participants who were already active as voters or in community groups found the workshop a little more informative compared to the younger people and non-citizens who were slightly more likely to find the issues discussion a good source of information (as shown in the table at the beginning of section 3-A). On the other hand, the younger and non-citizen participants were a little more likely to say the workshop was very enjoyable.

Participants filled out evaluation forms at the end of the workshop and the ratings were uniformly positive. The voting skit was described as especially memorable and "fun."

The workshop also included an exercise that began with students throwing a wad of paper at one of several shapes posted on the wall. The shapes were then turned over to see what political party they just "joined." Brief summaries from each party were handed out and the students talked in their "party" groups to select a candidate to present their platform. While many seemed to remember the exercise because of its engaging interactive format, the content was also memorable. An elderly Laotian gentleman was amazed to find out "there are so many different parties to choose from." One Anglo man reported that "when I learned what they all stood for, it made me want to change my party because another one was more in line with what I think."

In some locations, at the end of the workshop, participants formed a circle and threw a ball of yarn to each other as they stated one thing they learned and one thing they planned to do. In Baldwin Park, things learned included: "How to vote", "To make sure what you're voting for", "To voice your opinion." What they planned to do included: "Mail in this registration form", Vote", "Spread the word to others", "Register some other new voters" and "Get involved." The Santa Fe Springs Coordinator said that he felt the yarn toss at the end was one of the highlights of the workshop because he heard the learners make commitments to each other to take action.

Format/Sequence of Forum & Workshop

Most of the site coordinators indicated that they saw a clear relationship between the forum and the workshop -- i.e. that expressing one's views and listening to each other and then engaging in community activities (voting or other) are complementary actions. At the end of the forums, when discussing ways to take action, many learners commented that voting was one thing they could do to help make a difference.

The Sacramento Regional Coordinator liked the two step process because "it gives people a chance to start thinking about things, ruminating and forming thoughts in between. If it's a one-shot deal, you haven't gathered your thoughts." She thought that the lag time gives participants a chance to talk to others and form some more thoughts before the second section. The two sessions had very different roles in her eyes: "the Forum was the catalyst to give people a chance to see the connection to their own lives. The Voting Workshop is the chance to get the hands-on information about a specific next step that they can take."

"They got hooked in the forum and wanted to come back for the workshop."
- Baldwin Park Coordinator

"They went hand in hand well. [By having the forum first] you made the connection between having your voice heard in the community and voting. I think the forum gave my learners something to think about. They got jazzed for full participation in the voting workshop." - Willows Coordinator

Voter Guide

Questions about the usefulness of the Easy Reader Voter Guide were asked of students who recalled receiving the guide. Among the total group, 62% said it was very useful and another 24% found it somewhat useful.

This was one of the few instances where gender appeared to create a directional difference, with women responding more positively than men. One of the Key to Community presenters hypothesized that the female learners may have responded more positively to the photographs used for the presidential candidates (there were no photographs for the ballot measures.)

A 19 year old Latina who voted for the first time used the Easy Reader Voter Guide to help prepare, because, "us young voters need help...it's something we can understand more."

A woman with limited English skills said the voter guide was good because it "made it simple."

The Sacramento man who convinced his wife and friends to vote, used the Easy Reader Voter Guide more than anything else because "the state book went on and on and this got to the point...it had pros, cons and told you the consequences of each measure." For past elections he had to "reread things and it seemed complicated, confusing. This year seemed easier."

The Baldwin Park woman who persuaded her neighbors to vote told her neighbors about it. "Everyone should get the Easy Reader Voter Guide."
Top

Many of the site coordinators saw Key to Community as integrally supporting their curriculum - rather than as an election season extra-curricular activity.

Some of the adult educators indicated that the Key to Community program directly supported the content and/or basic conceptual skills in their existing curriculum. For example, one of the instructors noted that the forum on jobs touched on several topics they had studied in class. She thought the forum was helpful because "students get more into discussion about government" than just reading the material. A colleague of hers noted that the forum helped bring the material "out of the realm of what they had studied into real life discussion."

"One student who was voting for the first time came to me asking questions about the candidates and ballot measures, wanting to know was such-in-such true...it's great to see her develop her critical thinking skills and learn that her opinion is worth expressing." - Willows Coordinator

"I learned that you have to pay real good attention to what they say because sometimes it's not what you expect." - Sacramento student after learning about the different political parties

"It's important for people to talk before they take action so their opinions can actually have a reason." - Berkeley student

"[Learners] need trainings that are accessible and material that is easy to read and understand. This material needs to become a permanent part of our programs' collection, not just a special project." - San Diego Literacy Coordinator

Others expressed that Key to Community provided an important and useful supplement to the core curriculum. As an example, another one of the instructors in Sacramento explained that "these kids are a real high risk population...their lives are so riddled, their lives are right out of the 6 o'clock news...To get out of these situations, they have to have confidence or knowledge and some guidance. If they don't have these things, they can be trapped. To break out of their reality is easier said than done. Sometimes they have to leave school but then they'll come back and we're here for them. Anything we can do to help them..." She felt that the Key to Community Project is a perfect example of the type of "enrichment" that can help combat the ignorance and the lack of confidence that keeps these students trapped.

At the Metropolitan Adult Education Program in San Jose, the Key to Community forum and voting workshop were offered as a combined session with a break between the two parts. About thirty students, predominantly ESL, attended on an optional basis. When almost all of the students returned after the break, one of their instructors was impressed. "They must be getting a lot out of this. We usually lose half on an optional thing." A colleague of hers said, "The session brought people alive. They learned a lot."

Some of the program leaders expressed that the peer presenters were a major part of the Key to Community program's appeal. The director of the Solano County Library Literacy Program is working on developing a Learner Council, a leadership/support group for the library literacy program learners. She noted that the workshop presenters provided a role model, creating a sense of increased confidence for the learners in her program: "If they can do it, so can I."

"There is a need for other low level or ESL learners to participate in educating their peers."
- Willows Coordinator

Involvement and educational attainment

There appeared to be a two-way relationship between students' educational progress and the factors that increase interest in civic participation. As discussed earlier, increased education was related to an increased likelihood of community involvement. And, for many of the adult school students interviewed in this study, their school was their major source of information. As an example, a 21 year old woman is not currently involved because she has not heard about "anything going on. Most of the time I'm working and going to school and that's where I'm starting to learn that people are getting involved and realizing I want to get involved."

At the same time, some of the students expressed that their experience with Key to Community and other forms of civic involvement enhanced their interest in school. As a result of attending of the Key to Community workshop, one woman in Berkeley said "I learned that I should go back and get my GED. It would make me feel better about myself...if I go back to school, I'll be able to help in the classroom. Now I don't feel I have enough education to do that."

A 17 year old at Baldwin Park is now working as a teacher's assistant, "getting credit and getting experience." It appeared that the Key to Community experience was one of the factors that helped to focus him on where to channel his energies and helped him connect with others about the things that interest him.

Also at Baldwin Park, the African American teen who spoke up for the first time at the issues discussion has had more positive experiences at school this year. He said "I started to care about school. Last year I didn't care about school. Now I want to go to college and get a diploma and experience more things in the world."

Next Steps

Even though Key to Community was a new program for each location, all expressed a desire to continue the program and many want to build on it. The administrator at Rancho Santiago said it was "a tremendous experience" for her students and "I'd invite you back tomorrow."

The director at Berkeley Reads indicated that the Key to Community program fits with her goals of "learners having a good time, getting them to come out, and building skills." She plans to do some more small groups with mini-issues discussions with writing as a follow-up activity.

An important goal of the Key to Community project and its sponsors is to provide adult education organizations and literacy programs with enough training to continue the program on their own. Along these lines, an administrator at Rancho Santiago said she would include both aspects of the Key to Community curriculum - How to Vote and How to Be Heard and Make a Difference - in their teacher training next year.

Top

Exhibit I: An Illustration of the Key to Community Involvement Model

Exhibit II: Key to Community Project Partners and Field Activity

EXHIBIT III: Overview of Survey Sample for Key to Community Study

The sample for this study was based on recruiting by the twelve adult education partners - therefore it reflects the characteristics of their populations -- i.e. less educated and predominantly ethnic minorities. Within this context, there is over representation of females which may trace to a greater willingness to participate in the initial pre-forum questionnaire.

EXHIBIT IV: Participatory Behavior by Demographic Group

Of the total sample of 251 matched pre/post surveys, 55 participants were not eligible to vote. Therefore, in presenting the percentage of any demographic group that either registered or voted, that calculation is based on those who were eligible. The percent involved in community groups was based on all responses.

Exhibit V: Review of Why/Why Not to Vote

The following is a compilation of the easel sheet responses to the why/why not vote exercise in the Key to Community workshops across all the partner locations:

Exhibit VI - Case Study Excerpts

The following are excerpts from pre/post interviews with adult learners and site coordinators from the three case study locations: Sacramento, Berkeley and Baldwin Park.

The Fremont Adult School is in downtown Sacramento, about a half mile from the State Capitol. Most students are 18 to 35, with an ethnic mix that emphasizes Hispanics and various Asian groups, with some Anglo and African American students as well. Participants in the study were from two different classes -- one, a government and economics class and the other a basic GED class. Several of the students were relatively new citizens, or studying to get their citizenship. Usually, the students tend to work on individual projects in their classrooms. About 65 students from the two classes were brought together in the school cafeteria to participate in a forum on September 26th about jobs. Most of the same students and some new ones attended the Key to Community voting workshop in the same location the following week on October 2nd.

One-on-one interviews were conducted with eight students who represented a range of voting experience and background with community involvement. In this location, the interview with the site coordinator was supplemented by interviews with instructors of the two classes.

A 25-year-old Latina who has been married for a year said she has never voted before. "I haven't really heard about how to vote. No one in my household has ever really voted." As a result of the Key to Community workshop she voted for the first time in the November 5th election, "because of that meeting at school...the workshop showed me that one vote can make a difference." She noted, "It was really simple. All this time I thought it was something that was going to be really hard." She said, "I didn't know where to get the information. If you didn't have that class, I probably wouldn't have gone." In addition to making her feel comfortable with the voting process, the issues forum also increased her confidence to pursue a community involvement idea. This young woman does not have children but is very interested in problems her siblings and friends have with local daycare. Although the forum was about jobs, a particular comment about daycare has led this young woman to start brainstorming with peers about ways to help. As a final comment on how it felt to be a first time voter, "I'm really impressed with myself." She has an aunt who had been upset when she didn't vote in the last major election. She said that as soon as she voted, she wanted to call her aunt and say, "I did it!"

Another young women who was just 19 years old had already registered to vote for the last election but "didn't end up feeling ready to vote." She voted for the first time on November 5 and said it was easy to get ready for the election because of the information that she received in class. In the workshop she liked that "we all got together and said what we thought. It's a way to find out that other people think differently that you." She also especially liked the Easy Reader Voter Guide because "us young voters need help...it's something we can understand more."

A Laotian gentleman, who had just become a citizen, voted for the first time in the November 5 election. He said he was "nervous and unsure about how to vote." He said the voting workshop and class and Easy Reader Voter Guide helped him get prepared. He was especially impressed to find "how there were so many different parties to choose from."

A 42-year-old white male, who is married with children, has been a voter since he got married. "When I was younger, I didn't care before...getting older and maturing made me realize that it has to start somewhere." On the other hand, he is not very involved in community activities because "you have to show some initiative to get involved and I don't have time." He doesn't participate in community dialogue because "I feel a lot of people don't care what you think. I don't usually express myself unless they ask. It's a bummer. People are getting cold." He attended the issues forum and liked it. He went to see what they had to say and "the lady sounded like she really wanted to hear our opinions. And I wanted to go in case I had something I wanted to say. I listened more than I participated but people had a lot of good ideas." At the voting workshop the following week, he went to see if he could get more information and "to make sure I knew what was going on." He learned that there are more than just the Democratic and Republican parties and "when I learned what they all stood for, it made me want to change my party because another one was more in line with what I think." He felt that the workshop was really informative and "I brought a lot of the information back to my wife. She has always refused to vote and I used the information to help talk my wife into voting and also got several friends to vote." What he liked about the workshop was that it gave really specific information and the Easy Reader Voter Guide. He said in the past, "I had to re-read things, it seemed complicated and confusing. This year seemed easier."

A 44-year-old Asian woman started voting one year after she became a citizen. She had waited a little because she needed to get up her courage because her English isn't very good and when she went to the polls she didn't know what they were talking about and wasn't sure what to vote for. She talks to her neighbors, "we have a small community and we talk about how to make the place cleaner, safer. We have meetings and informally bump into our neighbors and talk." On the other hand she says she doesn't want to speak in public. "If I see something wrong, I will try to help but I don't want to speak in public because my English is not good." She attended the issues forum and school "only because the teacher asked us to go. I didn't want to go because I didn't know what was going on but I liked it." As a result of the forum she learned that she "has a chance to learn how others think, their point of view and that is very important because then you know the other people better and then know how to deal with them." Although she continues to be nervous about her English language skills, she agreed that attending a forum "turned out okay." She contributed several comments to the issues discussion.

A 29-year-old Anglo male votes in most elections because he wants "to express my opinion...I don't want others to have say-so for me." On the other hand he is not involved in community activities because "it takes too much time." He attended the issues forum but not the voting workshop. At the forum he was a very active participant speaking up during each of the three choices. He was skeptical about the value of the forum. "Besides a few things said by me and one other lady, it was pretty boring." He said, "although I got a chance to say what I wanted to say, basically I didn't learn anything." On the other hand, because of his participation in the forum, he helped flesh out different perspectives on the issues for the other participants.

A teen male who had recently turned 18 had marked on the screener that he was registered. In the interview it became clear that he did not understand the concept of having to register to vote, "If you're 18, aren't you just eligible to vote?" This young man was disinterested, uninvolved, and doesn't get together with family or friends to talk about issues. He attended the issues forum and "just listened." He recalled that the voting workshop the following week "taught us how to go and vote and demonstrated what to say and how to register." As a result of the voting workshop, he did register to vote. He did not choose to vote on election day because "I just didn't pay attention." On the other hand he was able to recall some of the propositions. While the impact of the project on this young man appears limited, it did fill in a major information gap, and he may choose to act on this new information at a later time.

Similarly, a young African-American teen had not registered to vote even though he is 19. He is not registered because "I never thought it mattered. I never thought my vote would count." This young man says he "has never seen anyone in my community trying to do anything. I'm not active or involved. I'm just an everyday person." This young man attended the issues forum "planning not to listen." Nonetheless, he did add a comment during the third choice. At the voting workshop the following week, he helped pass out registration forms and filled one out himself. The limited impact of the Key to Community Project on his behavior may tie to his particular life stage of being a young, single male and also his self-imposed isolation.

Trish Kerns, the Sacramento-based State Literacy Regional Resource director who helped select the Fremont Adult School location reported that the impact of the Key to Community Project at this location was:

• An increased level of awareness regarding the importance of voting
• A lot of connections being made between what they are voting for and the consequences.
• The issues discussion brought the material "out of the realm of what they had studied into real life discussion".
• Students learning how voting and involvement affects their lives

Trish saw that the forum and workshop had two very distinct roles. As mentioned, the Forum was the catalyst to give people a chance to see the connection between issues and their own lives. The Voting Workshop is the chance to get the hands-on information about a specific next step that they can take. Following on this, Trish especially commended the Easy Reader Voter Guide because it was able to reach such a broad group of people even beyond those who participated in the Key to Community Forum and Workshop. Her suggestion was that the Voter Guide be expanded to cover local measures and races. Trish said she would definitely sponsor and promote future forums and workshops because "a lot of others would enjoy both the workshop and issues forum."

The instructor of the participating GED class said the project increased the students' awareness of the value of voting. She was impressed with the amount of participation at the forum. She noted that her students are "ready to talk. They have opinions and want to express them" -- but to actually get them to speak out in such a large group, it was critical that the moderators created a "safe" environment that really promoted participation, "where no one is wrong." She noted that the students "trusted" the moderators and that it definitely helped that the forum moderators and workshop presenters were adult learners and ethnic minorities. She reiterated the importance of these types of opportunities for participation and awareness building among her students. She said, "somehow they didn't get the knowledge about life and reality, hard facts and consequences" that she felt that people outside the adult school environment had gotten. She said, "these guys are so naive, it's painful." She stated that the Key to Community Project is a perfect example of the type of "enrichment" that can help combat the ignorance and the lack of confidence that keeps these students trapped.

The government class instructor described Key to Community as "a good experience" for her students: "they learned how to vote, about the parties, and how to make choices." The forum "gave students the opportunity to express themselves and ask for what they need." She said that the students referred back to the forum in their class discussions. For her student audience which is largely immigrant, she says the hardest part of teaching government is helping them to understand "the voting system and the way we elect our leaders." She noted that a large group of Laotian students had received their citizenship right before the election, and they did in fact register and vote. She felt that the workshop was part of the information that helped them make this decision. She noted that "at first, not that many are that excited to become a citizen" until they understand the concepts of democracy. She again commented that the forum was helpful because "students get more into discussion about government" than just reading the material.

Berkeley Reads is a public library-based literacy program that provides one-on-one tutoring at no cost to participants. The program draws predominantly African American participants who are longtime residents of the neighborhood and some newcomers from various countries like Egypt and Ethiopia, all of whom tend to range from 25 to 55. Any activity at Berkeley Reads besides a weekly meeting with a volunteer tutor is optional for learners. The program sponsored an issues forum on Education: What Should Our Children Learn in School? on September 12th which was moderated by two adult learners. Turnout at the forum was seven people, smaller than had been anticipated, but each of the participants seemed to enjoy the discussion. Seeing the impact of the issues discussion on the learners, the Program Director for Berkeley Reads restructured the follow-up voting workshop to include discussion of issues, writing skills and the key components of the voting workshop. This session was held on September 28th with 17 attendees. The workshop broke into small groups to let participants identify issues of concern that they wanted to discuss and also covered the voting skit, registration and Easy Reader Voter Guide.

One of the interviewees attended the education issues forum. He is a 49-year-old optician with a new wife and two children. He has been a periodic voter at times but had limited community involvement. He had most recently had a frustrating experience with trying to start a men's ministry at his wife's church. He thought that "some of the guys were just coming together to talk about women or things" that weren't relevant to the projects in hand. He felt that "people seem like they don't really want to stop and make some decisions." He just listened during the first half of the forum and then jumped in to share his story about his educational experiences and actively participated after that. As a result of the discussion he volunteered that he really wanted to go out into the community and spread the word that people can make a difference in education and they can get involved. It appeared that the forum reinstilled hope for this gentleman.

Attendees at the writing/voting workshop and discussion included some lapsed voters as well as some experienced voters:

A soft-spoken African-American woman who is 47 years old hadn't voted in a while. She says she used to keep up with the issues a lot more than she does now. She has a visual impairment so she doesn't read as much and it is not as enjoyable to keep up with the issues. "In fact, it's really quite boring." Before the workshop, she said she was not active in the community because "I wouldn't know where to start. I wouldn't have anything to offer." She says, "It's been a long time" since she's participated in any issues discussions. She used to but "it used to get me in a lot of trouble. I was trying to enlighten people but it would be a downright dispute and people would have an argumentative mentality." She stopped because it became uncomfortable for her. The program director noted that this woman doesn't usually participate in Berkeley Reads activities, but she did attend the writing/voting workshop because she said she was invited by a student. She wasn't sure what it was about but she was curious. She found the issues discussion "interesting...firsthand, a chance to hear what other people think. To share information and exchange knowledge, thoughts and ideas...to be around other people." She noted that she enjoyed being "a participant and part of the group" that day. In the post interview, she was more open to other types of group participation and different possibilities of sharing her talents and experience. She also voted in the November 5 election. "I probably wouldn't have registered to vote if I hadn't come to the workshop." A 54 year old, divorced, white male, who grew up in a small town back east, has "always voted since I was 21." He attended the writing and voting workshop to work on his writing skills. He's not involved in groups because he's a "private person. For a long time I didn't want people to know I couldn't read." He enjoyed the voting and writing workshop and felt it was especially informative. He "learned that anyone can write with enough practice." He spent more time preparing for this election and moved past his former pattern of solitary behavior to ask some friends for help. "A couple of people helped me to understand some of the issues...they helped me to read it and then I decided." A 25 year old, African-American male registered to vote when he was 18 because he had "always heard from my mother and my grandmother about the importance of voting." He attended the writing and voting workshop to support his friend, one of the adult learners who was presenting and to "get in on some good information" that can help in the community outreach efforts that he's engaged in. He felt the highlight of the workshop was a conversation about the issues when he was in a small group with older people. He noted that some of the grievances they mentioned are still going on. "If it's still happening now, then something's wrong." He said, "the discussion motivated me to help other people." This young man ended up spending more time preparing for the election and talking with others about the ballot measures. He also increased his outreach efforts to others. A 57 year old, African-American woman has been a long time voter but has become less and less involved in the community over time. She says that she's been ill with high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis and "if I get involved, I'll get sick again, so I've had to cut back." She attended the writing and voting workshop because she "hadn't been to one and wanted to see what it was like and what I could do to have more [of a] relationship with my neighborhood." This woman said that she "loved it...there were other ideas besides mine about what to do in the neighborhood and what we could do to benefit education...I liked it because two heads are better than one. I would go again because I don't speak up to other people and if I keep going, it would give me courage to speak up to my neighbors." When asked what about the workshop gave her this courage: "the people there seemed like they cared and they made me feel better about myself. They weren't phony." Later in the interview she said, "the workshop and library program have given me the idea to help in the schools." She also shared that one of the reasons she's been holding back is "I can't start until I can read better. I'm afraid that if I went into help with arts and crafts or playground, the teacher might ask me to take over the class and I couldn't do that now." She also shared of her new commitment to get her GED because "I want to help at school."

When asked what impact the Key to Community Project had on her learners, Berkeley Reads Director Abigail Sims-Evelyn said, "it got some of the learners really excited." She gave some examples, like the learner who came to the program after attending the workshop and "discussed how he was going to vote on the issues. This was new for [him]. He never had a setting where he could share his opinions and be respected for what he said." About one of the new citizens who "really spoke out" at the voting workshop, Abigail said she had never seen him become that involved before. Overall, Abigail cited two main impacts of the Key to Community Project:

1.) It created an avenue to come and talk and be respected, and 2.) It gave the individuals a boost. For many it was their first time voting, but it also gave them something to share with others.

Baldwin Park Adult School serves a wide body of community residents working on their GED's, English as a second language and other courses. Students range in age from 18 to over 50: about half of the students are Hispanic. The site coordinator selected Juvenile Violence as the topic for the issues forum which was held on September 27th. It was a Friday afternoon when school is not normally in session, so only about nine people attended. There was a larger turnout of about 25 students for the voting workshop (which incorporated an issues discussion on jobs) the following week on October 3rd. In addition to these two planned events, several instructors at the school incorporated the Easy Reader Voter Guide and discussion of the ballot measures into their classes.

A young, 22 year old single mother had registered to vote before the Key to Community Project because her best friend had told her that it was important. However, she has not been active in any community activities because she had recently moved to this neighborhood and doesn't "know where to go or who to talk to." She attended the issues forum and workshop and said she learned a lot from both. Regarding the forum she said, "It was totally different. I thought we were going to sit there and hear people talk at us. But instead, everybody participated." She also felt that the voting workshop and the Easy Reader Voter Guide were helpful in getting ready to vote so that she could "see both sides of all the propositions." She tried to get her boyfriend interested in voting but at least made him accompany her to the polls on election day. She found "in two minutes, I was done. I didn't think it was going to be that easy." Her final comment about the Key to Community Project, "I didn't really think I could actually make a difference, but I can."

One young man had never registered to vote before because of "a lack of people reaching out explaining why your vote might count". An 18 year old African-American, he doesn't participate in group activities or discussions. He describes his interactions as more "one-on-one". He attended the voting workshop to get class credit and ended up registering to vote that day. He was particularly impressed with his experience in the issues discussion about jobs. At first he didn't want to speak up because "I was afraid that my friends were going to laugh at me because of what I said. But then I decided I don't care what they think. I was thinking negative, but then I started thinking positive. My friends told me that 'you're a good speaker. You should be a counselor'." He has ended up increasing the types of discussions that he participates in. For example, in class he participated in student presentations of the different ballot measures and the pros and cons. This young many didn't end up voting on election day. He said, "I wanted to vote but I didn't have enough time to get there." He seemed sincerely sorry because he insisted "it's your right. You've got to stand up for your right. My word didn't get heard." On the other hand, as a result of the workshop and issues discussion and some of these other class activities, this young man said, "I started to care about school. Last year I didn't care about school. Now I want to go to college and get a diploma and experience more things in the world."

A young Latina who had recently become a citizen had planned to vote in this election, but she hadn't yet registered. She attended the juvenile violence forum and "didn't want to go at first...I wasn't interested. I decided to go because I was there and they had a baby-sitter and I'm taking high school classes and they said they'd give me credit if I went." She was an active participant in the discussion and "I was so excited about what we discussed there I came home and talked to my husband about it. You usually hear problems about juveniles, but you don't hear the real problems or what can be done." She attended the voting workshop the following week and said, "It was very good. I was going to vote anyway but it gave me more information about how to vote." She ended up going by herself to the polls and felt good about it. "At the meeting they showed us how to do it. They role-played and so it felt comfortable to me."

The Key to Community Project also had an impact on the Baldwin Park participants who are already voters. For example, a 48 year old woman who has been voting for a long time says that she's not very active in the community because she doesn't know that many people. She has had a very demanding job for the past thirteen years but is now open to getting connected in more ways. "That's why I'm going to school, to improve my English so I can talk to people better and they can understand me better." She really enjoyed the Key to Community Project program. "The program they did about voting at school is really something. I like to talk to people. The program about voting got me thinking about the community and made me want to get more involved."

A 39 year old woman has three children, the oldest of whom has recently gotten into trouble with the law. Therefore, she was very interested in the juvenile violence forum. She was an active participant and said "there should be more forums like this in the community. People are interested but don't know where to go." What she liked about the forum was "the chance to hear opinion, help you get things off your mind and a chance to listen to others." As a result of the forum, she has been in contact with one of the forum moderators who has given her different neighborhood opportunities to pursue. She has also mentioned that she is planning to attend literacy tutor training and become a literacy tutor. In terms of her voting behavior, she had already been a very enthusiastic voter and drove some of her neighbors to the polls like she has done in previous elections. Notably though she shared that before this election, "I didn't use to vote on the measures," but now she pays more attention to them. The discussion at school about the issues plus the Easy Reader Voter Guide helped her overcome the fact that "the measures are written so a lot of people don't understand them." The Easy Reader Voter Guide is "easier to read than the big pamphlet."

One young man was disappointed that he wasn't old enough to vote in this election -- a 17 year old male who has recovered from a substance abuse problem a couple of years ago. He'd been active with the church and Narcotics Anonymous but had not had much experience in discussing issues with others. He attended the issues forum as the only young man and non-parent participant yet held his own in the discussion. He enjoyed the forum because "you get to hear what other people say. I've never been in anything like that." He also mentioned that it was a more ethnically diverse group that he is usually involved in and that during the forum, "they don't get mad at you for what you say. They accept your opinions." Based upon the positive experience he had at the forum, he recruited some of his friends at school to come to the voting workshop. What he told them about the Key to Community Project was "it's something different. You get to participate." As a result of these positive experiences at school, he says he's gotten more focused about where to channel his energies. For instance he's now working as a teacher's assistant where he's "getting credit and getting experience." He says that he plans to become a drug counselor.

The Baldwin Park State Literacy Resource Center coordinator, Joyce Moore, was overall "very pleased" with the Key to Community Project. While she wishes she could have recruited more participants, she was quite confident that the people who participated "really got something out of it." In terms of the structure of the project, Joyce believes that "two sessions are better than doing one combined. One long session would have to be on a Saturday and it would be harder to get students and community members." She said "the issues forum generates interest. They get hooked on the one and come back for the second." Joyce felt that the issues forum worked well in providing students with a chance to voice their opinion. Joyce was also very positive about the voting workshop. She noted that the Key to Community Project process and materials were also adapted by other classes. Joyce was also very enthusiastic about the Easy Reader Voter Guide which was disseminated widely in the Baldwin Park community. She thinks the Guide should be made available for future elections in English, Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese.

EXHIBIT VII: Key to Community Resources

Key to Community Project Coordinator

Mara Wold
The Reading Program
Santa Clara County Library
1095 N. 7th Street
San Jose, CA 95112-4446
408-294-5175/fax: 408-287-9826
E-mail: mwold@readingprogram.org

The Reading Program has been the operating organization for the Key to Community Project since it began in 1993; Taylor Willingham, Director. Primary funding for this project has been from the California State Library and the National Institute for Literacy.


The State Literacy Resource Center of California (SLRC)

Carole Talan, Director
9738 Lincoln Village Drive
Sacramento, CA 95827-3399
916-228-2760/fax: 916-228-2676
E-mail: slrccal@otan.dni.us

SLRC has supported the expansion of Key to Community across California. Seven of SLRC's eight regional resource centers were partners for the Fall 1996 election study.


The Bay Area New Readers Council (NRC)

Bonnie Bjerre, Coordinator
110 Scenic Drive
Orinda, CA 94563
510-253-8556/fax: same
E-mail: bbjerre@aol.com

The adult learners of the NRC have been integral to the development of the Key to Community model, workshops and the Easy Reader Voter Guide. Staff liaisons to the NRC, Bonnie Bjerre and Leslie Shelton, have also provided significant input.


The Center for Civic Literacy (CCL)

Susan S. Clark, Director
42 Moody Court
San Rafael, CA 94901
415-454-6500/fax: 415-454-6591
E-mail: susclark@aol.com

In partnership with The Reading Program and the NRC, CCL researched and designed the Key to Community pilot program and has been evaluating its effectiveness, most recently as coordinator of the Fall 1996 election study.

Top