In this article,the authors focused on the civic learning experiences of high school students in two different communities to explore two interrelated ideas: 1. The power of congruence to encourage feelings of civic efficacy in youth. 2. The deep complexities of disjuncture for the civic learning experiences of youth. This project revealed both how civic action research can facilitate the connection between the curriculum and students' lives and how there are complexities in making such connections. Furthermore, congruence and disjuncture profoundly shaped these students' civic learning experiences.