Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Youth Volunteering, Service, and Civic Engagement Survey, 60628-60629 [E7-20991]

Agencies

• Census Bureau
• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 206 (Thursday, October 25, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60628-60629]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-20991]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Youth 
Volunteering, Service, and Civic Engagement Survey

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on 
or before December 24, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at dHynek@doc.gov).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Richard A. Schwartz, U.S. Census Bureau, 7H0003N, 
Washington, DC 20233-8400 at (301) 763-7491 (or via the Internet at 
Richard.A.Schwartz@census.gov).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Census Bureau plans to request a reinstatement of the clearance 
used to conduct the 2005 and 2007 rounds of the Youth Volunteering and 
Civic Engagement Survey. The purpose of this voluntary survey is to 
provide data on volunteer activities, participation in school-based 
service-learning, and civic engagement among American teenagers.
    The Corporation for National and Community Service is the federal 
agency that encourages Americans of all ages and backgrounds to engage 
in community-based service and volunteering to meet the nation's 
educational, public safety, environmental, homeland security, and other 
human needs. Conducting a study of a rarely evaluated segment of the 
volunteering population will provide important data that will inform 
the work that the Corporation is doing across the country. For example, 
the Corporation's Learn and Serve American grant program provides 
resources to schools, higher education institutions, and community-
based organizations to involve young people in meaningful service to 
their community while improving academic, civic, social, and career-
related skills. In addition, the Corporation's AmeriCorps program 
provides service opportunities for Americans, ages 17 and older, to 
make an ongoing and intensive commitment to service to meet critical 
community needs. Through these programs, the Corporation seeks to 
promote a culture of service and civic responsibility.
    Teenagers are an important, yet often overlooked, volunteering 
population. Since volunteering during one's youth is an important 
predictor of continued volunteer activities, by understanding the 
unique needs and motivations of the teen population, we can better work 
to engage them in service to this country now and in the future.
    This survey is a continuation of the youth volunteering survey 
first conducted in 2005. In the 2005 survey we included sample persons 
12 to 18 years of age. We are considering limiting this age group to 15 
to 18 year olds.
    The 2008 round will again collect information on the attitudes and 
behaviors of teenagers in America around volunteering, service 
learning, and other forms of community involvement. For the proposed 
survey we will use retired CPS sample. Specifically, we will select 
teenagers under the age of 18 living in households that were eligible 
to participate in prior rounds of the September CPS Volunteer 
Supplement. Linking the survey sample to the September CPS Volunteer 
Supplement will not only aid in the processing of the collected data, 
but also in the subsequent analysis of the collected data. For example, 
in prior rounds of the National Youth Volunteering and Civic Engagement 
Survey, the levels of reported volunteering among teens was about 55% 
which is higher than the levels of volunteering reported in the CPS 
Volunteer Supplement (~29%). Survey design may account for some portion 
of the difference, but we are concerned that nonresponse bias may enter 
in as well. By selecting the sample from households that participated 
in the CPS Volunteer Supplement we will have additional information on 
volunteering rates that can be used to assess nonresponse bias in the 
proposed survey.
    The data collected in this survey will include information on youth 
volunteering activities that have taken place during the year prior to 
data collection. These activities will include both school-based 
community service requirements as well as volunteering activities 
conducted through religious and service groups. Basic demographic data 
for the sample person will be available from the CPS. Specifically, we 
will ask about the youth's current academic standing; their experiences 
with school-based community service and volunteering activities in the 
previous year; their motivations for volunteering; and the impact of 
school-based service and volunteering on the youth. We will also 
collect information on the volunteering activities of the youth's 
family and their attitudes and behaviors in regard to other forms of 
civic engagement, such as the likelihood of future volunteering, their 
sense of personal efficacy, their participation in community 
collaboration, and their political engagement.

[[Page 60629]]

II. Method of Collection

    The information will be collected by the Census Bureau's Telephone 
Centers. Advance letters will be sent out about two weeks prior to data 
collection. These letters will include a letter to the parent as well 
as a letter to the respondent informing them of the upcoming survey. We 
will provide phone numbers and e-mail addresses for sample persons and 
parents of sample persons to contact with questions regarding the 
survey. We plan to offer a monetary incentive to youth who agree to 
participate in the survey. All interviewing will be done using an 
automated instrument designed for use in a centralized telephone-
interviewing site.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0913.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 3,200.
    Estimated Time per Response: 30 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,600.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $0.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. Section 182.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: October 19, 2007.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
 [FR Doc. E7-20991 Filed 10-24-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P