MILLS PROFESSOR JOSEPH KAHNE RECEIVES MACARTHUR GRANT 

Oakland, CA - Joseph Kahne, Professor of Education and Research Director of the Institute for Civic Leadership at Mills College, has received a three-year MacArthur Foundation grant to study the civic implications of high school students’ participation with digital media.

The $450,000 grant will enable Kahne to survey thousands of students from approximately 20 California high schools to assess their engagement with the Internet and other digital media, and its relationship to their civic capacities and activities. The survey will also examine how families and schools strengthen students’ understanding of, and commitment to participate in democratic initiatives.

On a typical day, more than half of U.S. teenagers use a computer and more than 40 percent play a video game. Using websites such as MySpace and Facebook, young people are sharing photos, videos, music, ideas, and opinions online, connecting with peers in new and unexpected ways.

“The Internet is transforming how our youth receive information, communicate, play, and discover opportunities,” said Kahne. “However, we do not yet know the impact of digital media on their civic capacities and commitments, and thus, on our democracy. It’s also important to examine how factors such as gender, ethnicity, academic skills, and socio-economic status relate to students’ experiences with digital media. We need to look at whether there is a participation gap furthering inequality, and if digital media can diminish some forms of inequality related to civic engagement.”

Kahne pointed out that “we need to learn how educators, software designers, and others can channel the power of digital media most productively to advance civic life.” He said numerous studies in recent years have shown major declines in students’ voting rates and interest in current events and politics.

The Mills research study is part of a broad effort on “Educating for Democracy: The California Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools” led by the Constitutional Rights Foundation (Los Angeles) to keep the public, educators, and policymakers informed about the impact of education on democracy.

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has announced plans to build the emerging field of digital media and learning, committing $50 million over five years to the effort. The Foundation will fund research and innovative projects focused on understanding the impact of the widespread use of digital media on youth and how they learn. 

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is a private, independent grantmaking institution dedicated to helping groups and individuals foster lasting improvement in the human condition. With assets of $5.5 billion, the Foundation makes grants totaling approximately $200 million annually. For more information  visit www.macfound.org/digital.  

Mills College is a nationally renowned, independent liberal arts college offering innovative degree programs for undergraduate women, and graduate degree and certificate programs for women and men. Consistently recognized as one of the top 100 liberal arts colleges in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Mills currently ranks among the top 20 most diverse liberal arts colleges.

This year, the Washington Monthly College Rankings (September 2006) named Mills a leading liberal arts college based on community service, research spending, quality of preparation for graduate education, and social mobility. In addition, The Princeton Review’s annual guide, the Best 361 Colleges (2007) included Mills for the second year in a row among top U.S. institutions offering students an outstanding undergraduate education.

Nestled in the foothills of Oakland, California on 135 lush acres, Mills provides a dynamic liberal arts education fostering women’s leadership, social responsibility, and creativity.

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