Center for Civic Engagement and its Programs /
Center for Civic Engagement
The mission of the AUCA Center for Civic Engagement is threefold. We aim to:
To achieve this mission, we support the integration of experiential and community-based learning methods across AUCA’s academic departments; facilitate students and faculty in designing and implementing civic engagement projects and related research; provide workshops and trainings on key civic engagement concepts and skills; build and manage long-term partnerships with civil society representatives, government partners, private companies, and international actors interested in partnering for the public good; and leverage AUCA’s academic excellence and liberal arts approach to engage in matters of public concern.
We build on a robust history of civic engagement at AUCA. The Student Initiative Development Program (SIDP), for example, has been active for more than 3 years, funding 19 student projects that operate in every region of the Kyrgyz Republic - with a positive impact on upwards of 2,000 citizens. Beyond SIDP, AUCA professors Seth Fearey and Emil Nasritdinov took it upon themselves to launch the Darya Park Project, building a riverfront park in Bishkek in collaboration with students, local residents and government leaders. They improved the neighborhood’s social capital and satisfied more than 96% of residents. The CCE builds from projects such as these - and the more than 30 additional civic engagement initiatives ongoing on campus - to advance civic engagement as a model for learning, teaching, and living at AUCA and beyond.
Young women take part in a confidence-building class as part of Village Girl, a student project to give high-school aged girls alternative narratives to bride kidnapping and early marriage (2018).