Karang Taruna as a Means for Strengthening Civic Engagement of Young Citizens

Abstract

Karang Taruna is a community-based youth organization. Karang Taruna plays a strategic role in strengthening the character of young citizens at the village or sub-district level. As a vehicle for character education, Karang Taruna provides a social learning space through community service activities, creativity development, and leadership. This study aims to describe how Karang Taruna functions as a non-formal character education environment that supports the strengthening of civic engagement of young citizens. The method used is descriptive qualitative with data collection through observation, interviews, and documentation of Karang Taruna activities in Ngijo Village, Gunungpati, Semarang. The results show that Karang Taruna activities are able to facilitate the internalization of character values ​​through direct experience, cross-age social interactions, and community-based leadership practices. In addition, Karang Taruna serves as a space for the actualization of the younger generation in solving local social problems, thereby fostering civic skills. This study confirms that Karang Taruna is an important instrument in national character education because it is able to integrate Pancasila values ​​and the principles of civic engagement in the daily lives of young people.