A Changemakers Media Lab initiative
CivWiz is an innovative and interactive mobile app designed to promote civic engagement, awareness, and education among the University community and beyond. This Pitt Seed-funded mobile gaming application project aims to foster and assess student civic and cultural literacy across academic disciplines and increase student access to and engagement in civic learning beyond traditional civic learning mediums. CivWiz aims to address the critical need for the University, and higher education at large, to prioritize campus environments that integrate civic learning into students’ educational experiences across all academic disciplines to equip them to address a spectrum of societal challenges facing them in an increasingly polarized sociopolitical and sociocultural climate (Matto, McCartney, Bennion, & Simpson, 2017).
Download CivWiz on Google Play.
Meet the CivWiz team:
Hello, my name is Caroline Guo. I am a sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh. I am a Political Science and Economics double major, and Chinese minor. I think that civic engagement is important because it helps more people get involved in the political process. A large source of voter non-participation and apathy is due to a lack of access to adequate educational resources on the ways that everyday people can influence laws and policies. Through civic engagement, people can better convey their concerns to higher institutions of power to effect change. A fun fact about myself is that I have a sourdough starter named Doughseph!
Hello, my name is Owen May. I am a junior at the University of Pittsburgh. I am a Political Science and Law, Criminal Justice and Society double major, and Computer Science minor. I chose to be a part of CivWiz because I believe that education is the most powerful tool available to the public, and that through free and publicly available civics resources, our society can become safer and healthier. A fun fact about myself is that I did Kindergarten in Mexico.
Hello, my name is Cole Belling. I am a sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh. I chose to be a part of CivWiz so that I could help empower people to participate in local governments and effect positive change in their communities. My favorite food spot in Pittsburgh is the Thyme Machine!
Hello, my name is Andrew Klepeis. I am a senior at the University of Pittsburgh. I am a Political Science major, and History and Religious studies minor. I think CivWiz is important because it helps to ensure that our community knows their rights and obligations as citizens of our country. A fun fact about me is that I work at Pitt’s student-run radio station, WPTS Radio.