Call for Chapter Proposals

Edited Volume: Civic Education in International Contexts: Democratic Change throughEngaged Scholarship

Editors: Vera Lee¹, EdD, Bruce Levine¹, JD, Amanda Reinsburrow¹, PhD, and Katrina Struloeff², PhD (¹ Drexel University ² University of Pennsylvania)

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan 

Overview

In an era marked by increasing polarization and challenges to democracy, the role of civic education for democratic participation has never been more critical. Civic education is meant to develop the knowledge, skills, values, and actions that enable people to participate effectively in democratic processes and contribute to the common good. Across the world, anti-democratic forces are gaining traction, underscoring the urgent need for educational approaches that prepare individuals to engage thoughtfully and actively in public life. Formal and nonformal learning spaces—including schools, universities, community organizations, and grassroots initiatives—can serve as vital platforms for cultivating informed and engaged citizens.

This edited volume seeks to explore how engaged scholarship—rooted in collaborative, participatory, and action-oriented research—can advance civic education across diverse settings and age groups. We define engaged scholarship as scholarly work that connects academic knowledge to pressing social and civic issues through collaborative partnerships with communities, with the aim of generating knowledge that is both publicly relevant and action-oriented (Boyer, 1996; Campus Compact, n.d.). Bringing together contributions from researchers, educators, practitioners, and community leaders, this volume highlights work situated in local, regional, national, transnational, and digital contexts.

The volume offers a timely response to global democratic challenges by presenting research studies, programs, and projects that are related to one or more tenets of Boyer's framework of engaged scholarship: discovery, teaching, application, integration and engagement, about civic education initiatives that foster meaningful, active participation in democratic life. Through a range of conceptual, theoretical, and empirical chapters, as well as field-based projects and case studies, this collection aims to surface innovative practices, critical insights, and practical frameworks that support civic education across formal, informal, and nonformal educational environments. We welcome contributions that focus on civic education policies, initiatives, and practices across the lifespan—early childhood, primary, secondary, postsecondary, adult education, workforce development, and community-based learning. We are particularly interested in work that examines civic education programs and initiatives that engage individuals in active civic and political participation. Examples of civic education include but are not limited to: school-based curriculum, voter education, human rights education, civic dialogue, adult education, and experiential or service learning.

Topics

We welcome chapter proposals that address, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Theoretical perspectives on engaged scholarship and its role in civic and democratic education
•  Community-based research, participatory research, participatory action research, and other studies that utilize methodologies that engage scholars with community partners
• Pedagogical strategies for teaching civic engagement and democratic participation in schools, universities, and community settings
• Critical media literacy and digital citizenship across diverse age groups
• Professional development for educators and facilitators engaged in civic education
• Partnerships between different providers—such as schools, universities, community organizations, and informal learning spaces—to deliver civic education
• Community-based learning and civic education initiatives for youth, young adults, and lifelong learners
• Youth activism, intergenerational civic learning, and participatory democracy
• Educational policies and practices that promote civic and democratic learning across contexts
• Institutional commitments to engaged scholarship and lifelong civic learning
• Funding structures and policy advocacy for sustaining civic education initiatives

Submission Guidelines

Interested contributors should submit a chapter proposal, including:

• A working title (no more than 15 words)
• An abstract outlining the chapter, methodology (if applicable), and relevance to the goals of the book (500–750 words excluding references)
• Brief biography for each author (150 words) including any institutional affiliation

*Please note the contact author and their email and phone number. Proposals should be submitted as a single PDF or Word document to civiceducationbook@gmail.com by June 15, 2026. On August 1, 2026, authors of accepted proposals will be invited to submit full chapters (6,000–8,000 words). All chapters will undergo a peer-review process.

• Chapter abstracts due: June 15, 2026
• Decision notices sent to selected chapter authors: August 1, 2026
• Submission of full book chapters: December 1, 2026
• Editors assign chapters for internal peer review by authors: December 15, 2026
• Authors review and return peer chapters: January 15, 2027
• Editors provide feedback to chapter authors: February 1, 2027
• Chapter authors return revised chapters: March 1, 2027
• Editors submit the final draft of the book to the publisher: May 1, 2027

Contact Information

For questions, please contact the editors at civiceducationbook@gmail.com. We look forward to your contributions to this timely and critical volume.