The Pennsylvania Civic Health Index paints a comprehensive picture of the state's current civic health. It celebrates Pennsylvanians civic might as well as illustrates what aspects of their civil society they need to fully develop in order to have a healthier one.

HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD?
Individually, Pennsylvanians can contribute to the goal of total civic health by seizing the opportunities for growth outlined in this report. They can encourage one another to:

1. Stay in school —not only to get their high school diplomas, but to go on to attend and graduate from college.

2. Rally the demographics that are consistently falling behind.
Pennsylvanians are in this together. It is not enough for just a few to participate.
• Millennials (age 18–29)
• Hispanic Pennsylvanians
• Unemployed Pennsylvanians
• Single (never married) Pennsylvanians

3. Pennsylvanians must translate their aptitude for relating to one another into:
• discussing politics with each other
• attending public meetings to deliberate issues
• working with one another to x problems in the community
• voting
• volunteering

In addition to the personal responsibility of every Pennsylvania citizen to contribute to the state's civic health, its community organizations are continuing to work hard to create a vibrant and thriving society, and to support Pennsylvania residents in their civic endeavors. To engage more citizens in volunteerism, for example, PennSERVE acts as the hub for volunteering and community service in Pennsylvania. In 2009–2010, PennSERVE distributed more than $33,400,000 from the Corporation for National and Community Service to Pennsylvania communities throughout the state to support three national service initiatives: Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America. PennSERVE also oversees the Benjamin Franklin Citizenship Initiative, “a public education and outreach effort that educates, enlists and engages Pennsylvanians in the essence of participatory democracy.” 5

Recently, Pennsylvania also has inaugurated Allentown, Easton, Harrisburg, Parker, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Reading, Scranton, and Wilkes–Barre as “cities of service.” The Cities of Service initiative, founded in New York City on September 10, 2009, by 17 mayors from cities around the nation, is a bipartisan coalition of mayors who have committed to work together to lead a multi–year effort to expand impact volunteerism.

Pennsylvania supports greater student understanding of government through various civic education initiatives as well. The Pennsylvania Coalition for Representative Democracy (PennCORD), for example, grew out of the Civic Mission of Schools Report (CMSR) published in 2003. Like the Pennsylvania Civic Health Index , the CMSR relayed crucial civic information—that civic education was in dire straights in Pennsylvania schools. It reported that Social Studies was being relegated to only a few minutes a week in some grade levels. Led by Pennsylvania's First Lady, Judge Marjorie O. Rendell, the “[coalition] of educational, advocacy and governmental organizations committed to improving civic learning for students in K–12” formed “in order to improve civic education in the hopes of increasing student participation in communities, society and government.” PennCORD supports all aspects of teaching and learning. Its programs: award thousands of dollars in stipends to teachers to reinvigorate civics in their classrooms, host and facilitate professional developments for new, experienced and pre–service teachers, and constantly bring civic education to the forefront.

The Pennsylvania Civic Health Index is the crucial first step in setting the agenda for what's next in civic engagement in this state. With the information it provides, policy makers, educators, organizations and citizens can monitor civic trends and have the conversations necessary to set signicant, measurable, and attainable goals for Pennsylvania. In addition to illustrating the state's civic standing, the Civic Health Index shows how Pennsylvania ts into the larger picture of democratic participation in the country—the results of which provide a launching pad for discussion as to the future of the state as a leader of civic engagement in the nation. Equipped with this data, lawmakers and citizens of this state can begin to take the necessary steps to ensure that Pennsylvania will reemerge as the cradle of democracy in this country.