Key to giving youth a positive outlook on civic engagement is consulting with them about what they are interested in and then linking them to a variety of different types of community projects. A Positive Youth Development approach to civic engagement will allow youth to decide on what is most meaningful to them.

Michelle Charles, a researcher and author, recently studied African American inner-city teens and civic engagement in Philadelphia. She argues that for the African American community, the concept of "giving back to the community" is an important component of civic engagement that has not been formally recognized. Her interviews revealed that the phrase is a term steeped in oral tradition, faith, and the success of individuals as well as the group. "Giving back to the community" would differ from service learning in that it would offer service opportunities for young, inner-city African Americans that are directly relevant to their lives. For example, service projects would be designed to focus on social problems that are unique to the inner-city African American population.