The National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement

Part of Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement ("N-solve" or NSLVE) was founded to address a pressing need in higher education. U.S. colleges and universities have long worked to fulfill their civic missions, but they have yet to meet the expectation that learning about and participation in democracy pervades every student’s learning experience. Nor is ensuring the health and future of a just and strong democracy a realized institutional commitment for all campuses. Educators have found these responsibilities challenging for several reasons. First, they had no way to measure student civic participation and, as a result, could not identify obstacles or benchmark progress. Second, they lacked evidence-driven resources and recommendations for action. Finally, educating for democracy is unavoidably political, a daunting task in today’s hyper-polarized era.