If you have any questions about the Institute's civic engagement programs, please contact Julie Yerkes, Civic Education Programs Manager, at (603) 222-4115.
Philosophy and Approach
The NHIOP believes that engaged citizens are vital for a healthy democracy. To develop engaged citizens, we help students better understand how public policy affects their lives and concerns, and we educate and provide opportunities for students to develop the necessary knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to impact public policy and make a difference in the civic life of our communities.
We are guided by Thomas Ehrlich's concept of a civically responsible individual, as someone who, "recognizes himself or herself as a member of a larger social fabric, and therefore considers social problems to be at least partly his or her own; such an individual is willing to see the moral and civic dimensions of issues, to make and justify informed moral and civic judgments, and to take action when appropriate."
Goals