Schools and Universities play Important Role in Positive Social Change [REPORT]

According to Walden University’s 2013 Social Change Impact Report, nearly all adults (93%, on average) agree it is important that schools provide opportunities for young people to be involved in positive social change activities. Findings also reveal that if social change engagement is modeled to and started at a young age, it may lead to more involvement in adulthood as 89% of adults, on average, agree that being involved in positive social change as a child or teenager inspires people to be involved as adults.

Conducted online by Harris Interactive in April and May 2013, the 2013 Social Change Impact Report includes perspectives of more than 9,000 adults in Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Jordan, Mexico and the United States. Walden University commissioned the third annual survey to continue to gauge the state of social change around the world and found that education in its many forms is a force for social change.

Ninety-two percent of adults, on average, agree the best way to get more people involved in positive social change is to show them how their actions can make a difference. For most social change agents—people who have ever engaged in social change (92% of adults, on average)—exposure to social change starts at home.

73% of social change agents, on average, say they engage in positive social change because it is how their parents and family raised them to be.

80% of social change agents, on average, say they have done something to engage in positive social change because they want to set an example for their children.

Nearly half of social change agents (45%, on average) say they were between the ages of 5 and 17 when they first did something to engage in positive social change. Many did so through school, whether it was to fulfill a class or graduation requirement or because it was part of an activity connected to their school that was not required.

70% of adults who attended high school or secondary school, on average, participated in positive social change activities or volunteered while they were students in high school or secondary school.

75% of adults who attended college or university, on average, participated in positive social change activities or volunteered while they were students in college or university.

“It is encouraging to see the important role educational institutions like ours play in fostering and sustaining positive social change,” says Dr. Cynthia Baum, president of Walden University. “It is no longer a question of whether or not to incorporate social change initiatives into schools and curriculum; we now know it is essential to the development of future generations of social change agents.”

In addition, the survey found that nearly three-quarters of adults (73%, on average) consider education to be one of the most important positive social change topics today. However, beyond being an important topic, education and knowledge are essential for the future of positive social change:

88% of adults, on average, agree that if people knew more about a particular issue or cause they would be more involved in positive social change activities.

83% of adults, on average, agree the biggest barrier preventing people from getting involved in positive social change is lack of knowledge.

A continuation of the 2011 and 2012 social change impact reports about the state of social change around the world, the 2013 study was designed to discover more about people who are involved in positive social change, ultimately putting a face on social change agents. Findings reveal there are six distinct types of social change agents: Ultracommitted Change-Makers, Faith-Inspired Givers, Socially Conscious Consumers, Purposeful Participants, Casual Contributors and Social Change Spectators. Each type of social change agent is unique in terms of engagement levels, motivating factors and issues of importance.

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