Civically engaged students have well-developed knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make a difference in the civic life and vitality in our communities. Civic engagement in the curriculum helps students learn how to participate in democracy, how to be effective agents of change in their communities, and how to deliberate across differences. According to the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), students who are actively engaged in the classroom and the community tend to remain on strong academic paths and persist to graduation, often seeking higher levels of education and becoming future community leaders.