Civic Engagement

For me, the term "civic engagement" means acting within a society to benefit both the society or individuals within the society and the individual that is acting. The former is achieved through helping the community in some way, whereas the latter is more often than not an emotional effect felt by the individual. Obviously this is a very broad definition, so to incorporate civic engagement into Paideia it is necessary to specify. Whatever we choose to do, I want it to matter. I have been involved in civic engagement projects in the past in which, at the end, i feel that I accomplished very little. To reference Illich's article, the intentions may have been good, however, the result is rather petty. Therefore, I don't want to have this feeling at the end of the project, but rather one of fulfilment. For a project I would like to do something with kids. I can relate to them and they are fun and rewarding to spend time with. Again, I am worried that the project will occur and it won't have any effect on me. In short, I want to do something that matters.