Building National Character and Student Civic Participation Through Civic Education Assistance at SMP Negeri 1 Telaga Biru, Gorontalo Regency

Abstract

Strengthening national character and civic participation in students is an urgent need amidst the currents of globalization and the penetration of digital culture that tend to weaken historical awareness, social solidarity, and collective orientation of adolescents. This community service activity aims to improve national character and civic participation of students through contextual and participatory Civic Education mentoring at SMP Negeri 1 Telaga Biru, Gorontalo Regency. The activity participants numbered 30 students in grades VII and VIII who were selected purposively based on teacher recommendations. The program implementation took place in four stages, including initial observation and coordination, material socialization, evaluation, and reporting. The core method used material delivery based on Pancasila values linked to the local context, thematic group discussions, democratic forum simulations, and civic role plays. Evaluation was conducted through pre-tests and post-tests, accompanied by observations and interviews to capture changes in students' cognitive and civic attitudes. The results showed an increase in the average score of national character from 58.4 to 76.8 and civic participation from 54.7 to 73.2. These findings confirm that civics mentoring, which emphasizes interactive learning experiences, can encourage the internalization of national values, increase students' courage to express their opinions, and strengthen students' involvement in democratic practices within the school environment.