Pine River Library will host a forum on civic engagement from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5. Lunch will be provided.

The same forum will be offered that day at the Durango Library from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

The forums are organized by the Colorado Civic Health Network and will be held around the state to increase civic engagement, especially in youth. The Bayfield forum is seeking at least five youth and 15 to 20 community members, including people likely to be able to make a difference in the outcome.

Participants will discuss ideas for improving civic life in the community for young people, pre-kindergarten through college. They will explore opportunities and obstacles, such as lack of skills or knowledge, to youth civic engagement, and envision ways to improve civic engagement by youth.

Results from meetings around the state will feed into a statewide plan to strengthen civic learning and engagement. All are welcome. Call the Pine River Library at 884-2222, ext. 511 to register, or go on-line at http://goo.gl/Opyk5C. Those who can't attend a forum are invited to provide survey answers at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/coengage.

The Colorado Civic Health Network cites statistics that only 19.9 percent of people age 18 to 29 voted in the 2014 elections, the lowest youth turnout rate ever recorded; that only 36 percent of Americans can name all three branches of government, and more than a third of citizens couldn't name any of the three; that only a quarter of the nation's eighth graders are proficient in history, civics, and geography; and that students who participate in school-required community service are more likely to graduate from college and to score better on reading, math, science, and history tests.