BRATTLEBORO-Vermont is among the top states in the nation in terms of civic engagement, but only because the rest of the nation is doing worse.
That was the crux of the message that Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas and members of her staff brought to Brooks Memorial Library on Jan. 15 on the first stop of their Civic Health Index Tour.
The Civic Health Index measures the health of a state's civic engagement by dividing it into into six parts: volunteerism and donating; political engagement; social and community context; cultural access and engagement; media access and trust; and government access and trust.
"Vermont may rank high in so many of these indicators, relative to other parts of the country, but they may still be very low in percentage of people who actually engage in whatever that activity that question was based on," Copeland Hanzas said.
Thirty-six states have now completed the index.
Besides the Secretary of State's office, Vermont's partners in the study are the National Conference on Citizenship, the University of Vermont's Center for Rural Studies, SerVermont, AmeriCorps, and Vermont Humanities.
The cost of doing this survey, Copeland Hanzas said, was approximately $60,000 split among the six partners.
"I think it's money well spent, if what we get out of it is a better understanding of how to help Vermonters connect with each other," Copeland Hanzas.
The report also includes the findings of Vermont's first Youth Civic Health Survey, which was taken by more than 2,500 young Vermonters last year.
Building the framework
Hanzas Copeland said she was thrilled to be releasing the report because it gives Vermont a framework to talk about Vermonters' civic engagement, what they need to keep doing, and what they need to start doing.
"And I'm so thankful to the folks at Brooks Memorial Library and for everyone in the Brattleboro area who came out on a cold Wednesday night to help us kick off the conversation." she said.
Approximately 30 people came out to talk about civic health, but the relatively small number did not faze Copeland Hanzas.
"You always expect that," she said. "Something will come up at the last minute, or somebody's saying, 'Yeah, it was too cold,' or 'I got home after work and decided that I didn't feel like going back out.'
"We are going to compile the feedback that we get here with what we get from other communities, and I think it's a really wonderful thing anytime a group of people come together to to talk about how we engage as communities."
Graded on a curve
Vermont's civic health is high - but that conclusion is relative to the low bar set by how many Americans do not have a sense of civic engagement.
For example, in terms of volunteerism and donating, "Vermont ranks fifth in the country for informal helping and 13th for formal volunteerism," according to the report. (Utah is No. 1.)
This means that 29.1% of Vermonters volunteer, according to the report, while nationally the number is 23.2%. But that also means that approximately 70% of Vermonters do not volunteer, and neither do approximately 77% of Americans overall.
The report also notes that "volunteerism increases as age, income, and educational attainment increase, except for youth volunteering."
Vermont ranks second in the country for the rate of its donations of $25 or more to political organizations - 15.1% of the state donate to them. Nationally, the number is 9.4%.
However, when it comes to donating to charitable or religious organizations, the percentage of Vermonters to give jumps to 50%, making it 30th in the nation, compared to 48.1% nationally. (Minnesota is No. 1.)
In terms of political engagement, "Vermonters rank second in the country for attending public meetings," possibly thanks to institutions like Town Meetings.
The state ranks second "for engaging with neighbors in frequent discussions about political, social, or local issues," according to the report. "Vermont's voter registration has been steadily increasing, while voter turnout remains consistent over time. The state ranks fourth in the country for voting in the last election."
However, "only 59.1% of Vermont youth report that they intend to register to vote when they become eligible," the report says.
Creating a more inclusive state
Vermont ranks second in the country "for working with neighbors to do something positive for the neighborhood or community," the report said.
There is an old saying in Vermont that just because the cat gives birth in the oven, you can't call the kittens biscuits. It means, generally, that you cannot be considered a true Vermonter without having several generations of Vermont ancestors behind you.
Given that, the report states that "between 2013 and 2020, the percentage of Vermonters reporting never feeling uncomfortable or out of place in their community because of ethnicity, culture, race, skin color, language, accent, gender sexual orientation or religion increased from 62% to 78%."
That increase is a good start, but it still means that 22% of Vermonters report feeling uncomfortable, "and that is far too high," Copeland Hanzas said.
Despite Brattleboro's reputation as "an arts town," "Vermonters saw a decrease in satisfaction with access to artistic cultural recreational and learning opportunities in their communities between 2017 and 2020."
The report believes some part of this drop in satisfaction is related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, according to the report, "93% of respondents to the 2024 Vermonter Poll agreed that opportunities to view and participate in arts and culture are an important part of healthy communities."
When it comes to media, Vermont ranks second in the nation in the number of people who report "they frequently read, watch or listen to news or information," the report says. While the national average is 67.6%, in Vermont it's 78.9%.
Vermonters' confidence in local government is much greater than its confidence in national government and increased substantially during Covid, according to the report.
While Copeland Hanzas and her staff were very proud of the work they did compiling the statistics and analysis - available in a booklet that can be accessed at bit.ly/799-civic - they still want to hear from the state's citizens.
Talking it over
Next, the group heard from a panel consisting of Brattleboro Town Clerk Hilary Francis, Vermont Humanities Executive Director Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup, and Brattleboro Selectboard Vice Chair Liz McLoughlin.
McLoughlin reported that "interest in our work ebbs and flows. Now it is really high interest, because we're leading up to our elections for Selectboard members and Representative Town Meeting members. I think we're really at a peak in civic engagement, and I'm really pleased about that, and looking forward to hearing everyone's input."
Then small groups were formed around the six parts of the study so that everyone could have their say.
"We want to hear what you think about the civic health and civic engagement within your community," Copeland Hanzas said. "We want you to give us ideas and, indeed, direction for what you think our office should do in the future."
Later, the small groups reported their findings.
The group discussing political engagement thought it would be a good idea if everyone could serve on a town board or committee, and if everyone felt like they had someone to vote for.
The group discussing cultural access thought transportation was a big issue in getting people to cultural events, especially in the winter. They also identified money, time, and the assumption of whom cultural activities are for as impediments to cultural access.
One woman said that when she went to a concert, she noticed that almost everyone in the audience had gray hair. The group agreed that the most popular cultural institution, used by almost everyone in a town, is the library.
The group discussing media thought that a more accessible media would be a good idea, and that social media is not media. Also, the next generation of journalists are being pulled in too many directions with too many available platforms, they observed.
The group discussing government access and trust talked about the barriers that cause division among citizens. They tried to figure out how to bring everyone together. They also discussed whether people feel like they're being treated with respect and dignity, especially the unhoused population.
That group also talked about what kinds of community events drum up enthusiasm and engagement in governmental processes, how to give people in marginalized communities the opportunity to get involved in the decision-making surrounding governmental processes, and if they feel that they are being represented effectively.
They also talked about the importance of explaining when a governmental decision is made, and why it is being made. That way people, even if they don't necessarily agree with it, can at least understand it. And then they talked about the need to make sure people know their resources and have access to those resources.
When it came to the next steps to take, people were encouraged to write their ideas on flip charts.
Some things they wrote: "Expand civics education," "More community conversations," "Develop training for municipal officials to broaden participation," "Improve access to civic spaces," and "Invest in arts and culture."
In closing, Copeland Hanzas said she was delighted by the event.
"I was really pleased with with not only the turnout, but with the engagement of folks," she said. "It was fantastic to see so many folks discussing civic health - and exemplifying it at the same time."
The tour will also stop in South Burlington, St. Johnsbury, Barre, and Rutland in the coming weeks.
This News item by Joyce Marcel was written for The Commons.