As we mark the 60th anniversary of the Free Speech Movement, alongside the energy of the 2024 election, students are rethinking their roles within civic institutions. While ideals like community, service, and civic engagement shaped the civil rights movement, today’s students face declining trust in these same institutions. This has created a disconnect: an urgent need for multicultural solidarity coexists with growing civic disengagement. In moments of crisis, students are increasingly turning to peer, identity, and cultural spaces for support, rather than traditional educational or governmental institutions. This youth-led session will explore strategies for campuses to embrace student co-governance and foster both traditional and non-traditional forms of civic engagement, particularly in times of civic turmoil.