GIVE Act

Youth voting was up in 2008, but volunteering was down in 2007 ('08 data will be available later this year). Yet, it's not all bad news, as Peter Levine notes, "They're still volunteering at higher rates than their parents did." Additionally, some of us - depending on when your parents were born - are voting at higher rates, too. (So, stop calling Millennials 'lazy'.)

This news of a drop in high school volunteering may come as a surprise, especially as other stories report increasing service in 2009, which is partly due to the flagging economy and the growing number of under- and unemployed young Americans. CIRCLE's research uses data from the Current Population Survey, the largest public data set gauging the country's volunteerism, which is fielded annually in September. So, 2009 volunteer data still has some time to be recorded, and it's likely (when the data is released in 2010) given recent anecdotal evidence, and the signing of the GIVE/Serve America Act last Tuesday, that data will confirm a rise in volunteering this year.

While the AP story focused on 16-18 year olds, the overall pictures of youth volunteering has changed somewhat, too.

The data for 2007 show some decline in volunteering among young people, particularly high school students and college freshmen. The rate of volunteering for 16-to-18 year-olds peaked in 2005, at 33%, but has since declined by six percentage points. Traditionally, the 16-to-18 year-old cluster volunteered at a slightly higher rate than other age groups, but in 2007, people 25 or older volunteered at a slightly higher rate than 16-to-18 year-olds. The volunteer rate for the population aged 25 years and older has changed very little (2% or less) since 2002, and was 28% in 2007. (PDF)

Some trends did not change. The plurality (21%) of young volunteers got involved through religious organizations, but that varies by location, naturally.

While many factors are related to volunteering rates, perhaps the most notable feature of Salt Lake City volunteers is their affiliation with religious organizations...about half of 19-to-24 year-old SLC volunteers did [sic] performed their services at or though religious organizations. This is especially notable in contrast to their peers in the Boston area, where only 21% of volunteers donated their time at religious organizations.

Bumped. --Mike

In a ceremony fraught with political and generational symbolism, President Barack Obama will sign the aptly named “Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education” (GIVE) Act (now the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act) today at a White House ceremony, capping his campaign promise to ask Americans to reinvigorate their country through community service. GIVE represents a major redemption of candidate Obama’s promise to offer his most loyal and largest constituency, Millennials, born between 1982 and 2003, a chance to serve their country at the community level and in return earn assistance with the cost of their college education.

The support of young voters was decisive in Obama's narrow nomination victory over Hillary Clinton and their 2:1 margin for him over John McCain accounted for 80 percent of his nearly nine million national popular vote lead last November. Like other civic generations in American history, most recently Tom Brokaw’s “Greatest Generation,” Millennials are defined by their strong desire to advance the welfare of the entire group and, by extension, all of society. This ethos of service among Millennials is strongly supported regardless of gender or party affiliation.

Not everyone is ready to join hands and sing the praises of the concept, however. While GIVE enjoyed bi-partisan sponsorship in both the Senate and the House, that didn’t prevent a majority of Republicans from voting against the bill on final passage. In the House, 149 of 175 Republicans voted “no,” joined by 19 of their colleagues in the Senate, including the party's two top leaders. With all Democrats voting in favor of GIVE, the core of the Republican’s “Just say no” caucus demonstrated how out of touch with the Millennial Generation they are.

Of those Republicans expressing their opposition in the Senate, only one, John Ensign of Nevada, was from a state that Obama carried. Even though both Republican Senators from such bright red states as Utah, Georgia and Mississippi could see the potential value of increasing the number of volunteers and college students in the country’s civic life, both GOP Senators from South Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Idaho made it clear that there were no circumstances under which their hostility to government could be softened by the merits of a patriotic cause.

As Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina put it on his website, "We need to recognize that this bill does represent a lot of what's wrong with our federal government today.... civil society works, because it is everything that government is not. It's small, it's personal, it's responsible, it's accountable.” And Louisiana Senator David Vitter spuriously argued, “This new federal bureaucracy would, in effect, politicize charitable activity around the country." Echoing Governor Sarah Palin’s horribly off key comment at her party’s convention last August that “the world isn’t a community and it doesn’t need an organizer,” these Republicans demonstrated just how out of touch they are with Millennial thinking.

Meanwhile, President Obama’s signature initiative is drawing Millennials ever closer to his political agenda. Chris Golden and Nick Troiano, Millennial co-founders of myImpact.org, plan on launching a social network designed to connect volunteers and their experiences to others with similar interests as soon as the legislation creates a market for such sharing and support. Two Millennials who served a term in the New Hampshire legislature as they began their college careers, Andrew Edwards and Jeff Fontas, are now anxious to play “a central role in getting a ‘Spirit of Service’ off the ground” as their next step in a career of civic involvement.

Already this generation’s interest in serving, in contrast to its Generation X predecessors, has doubled the proportion of 16-24 year olds participating in the nation’s existing volunteer corps. Ninety-four -percent of Millennials believe community service is an effective way to solve problems at the local level and 85-percent thinks that is true for national problems as well.

At the signing ceremony the President will be joined by Senator Edward Kennedy for whom the Act was named, to celebrate the country’s embrace of our newest civic generation’s ethos of service. While Millennials across the country celebrate this historic change in America’s behavior, Republicans will be left, once again, locked in the dogmas of their past, unable to think back to our country’s last civic era when the GI Bill of Rights sent millions of Millennial’s great-grandparent WWII veterans to college. By exponentially increasing the number of American college graduates and the size of the country's middle class, it paved the way for the long period of post-war growth. If history is any guide, the Millennial Generation will follow in the footsteps of the GI Generation and through its dedication to public service leave America an even stronger country than the one they inherited.

Morley Winograd and Michael D. Hais are fellows of NDN and the New Policy Institute and co-authors of Millennial Makeover: MySpace, YouTube, and the Future of American Politics (Rutgers University Press: 2008), named one of the 10 favorite books by the New York Times in 2008.

Sadly you read that headline correctly.

The "Wake Up America Movement" is fighting against the passage of the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act because it is "the first phase of Nazi history repeating itself here in U.S."

You should take a look at the entire action alert, but here are a few highlights:

According to FOX News, Critics oppose G.I.V.E for cramming ideology down the throats of young “volunteers” ...”many of whom could be forced into service since the bill creates a "Congressional Commission on Civic Service."

This is, after all, the most efficient, expedient way to coerce the rest of the population: “re-educating” America’s youth in “character education and values” courtesy of AmericaCorps. Who better to teach “honesty, caring, respect and responsibility” than a CORPORATION run by the Federal government?!

One more obstacle cleared for the GIVE Act.

Today the Senate passed the cloture vote on H.R. 1388 by a vote of 74-14. The Times blog The Caucus has more:

From President Kennedy’s days to the creation of Americorps by then President Bill Clinton, the notion of public service has become a rallying cry. Tonight’s vote, propelled by President Obama’s urging of an expansion, would mean a growth in such work from 75,000 community service jobs to 250,000.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the cost of the Senate bill at least would be an outlay for the fiscal year 2010 of $418 million to about $5.7 billion from 2010 through 2014.

It’s an historic vote in the sense that a national service corps, an army dispersed to help with education, health services and the environment, would vastly enlarge the notion of “community organizing,” and allow, as Senator Barbara Mikulski, Democrat of Maryland, said tonight, for about 7 million people to be engaged in such work.

The bill enjoyed extraordinary bipartisan support, including namely the major co-sponsor, Senator Orrin Hatch, Republican of Utah, who tonight even recommended reading the biography of R. Sargent Shriver, relative by marriage to the Kennedys and who directed the original Peace Corps from 1961 to 1966.

The writeup notes that several Republicans voted against it because it cost too much. Go figure.

UPDATE: Yesterday, the House passed the The Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act with a bipartisan vote (321 to 105), giving it added momentum for when it proceeds to the Senate sometime next week. GIVE focuses on reigniting the American landscape by leveraging the energy, passion and talents of citizens in order to give back to their communities. This legislation is the companion bill of the Serve America Act, which is sponsored by Sen. Edward Kennedy and is waiting a House vote.

Many Millennials and allies supported GIVE, including such organizations as The United States Student Association and The Hip Hop Caucus. Millennial leaders Matthew Segal (SAVE), Maya Enista (Mobilize.org) and Caitlin Howarth (Roosevelt Institution) wrote a piece in the HuffingtonPost in support of the GIVE Act and to launch a new program, 80millionstrong.org. Rep. George Miller (who guided the legislation through his committee) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi were strong supporters of this legislation as well. Speaker Pelosi released the following statement upon GIVE's passage in the House:

“Less than one month ago, President Obama called for legislation ‘to encourage a renewed spirit of national service for this and future generations.’ Today, the Congress has responded by passing the GIVE Act, launching a new era of service.

“The GIVE Act will create 175,000 new service opportunities – more than tripling the number of volunteers nationwide. And it will reward those who volunteer with real investments in their education. It also expands the diversity of our nation’s volunteer corps – encouraging Americans from middle school students to retirees to give to their communities.

“This legislation is a sound investment: for every dollar spent toward service initiatives, there are four dollars of direct measurable economic returns to our communities.

“We have the power to banish some of the greatest ills affecting our nation, and create a stronger nation for all Americans. And we began today by giving the GIVE Act the strong, bipartisan vote it deserved.”

For more on FM's coverage of the GIVE Act, visit here, here and here.

This morning on The Hill Ed and Labor Chairman George Miller along with Speaker Pelosi held a press conference talking about the importance of passage of the GIVE Act.

Rep. Miller is by far one of the most dedicated elected officials when it comes to helping young people. We thank him for his leadership on this bill and look forward to seeing its implementation once is passes tomorrow.

Speaker Pelosi's speech - not seen in the above video - also emphasized the strength of young people and Congress's continued dedication to future generations at such a troubling time in our economy. Below is an excerpt from her speech:

"In times of great challenge, Americans always risen to the occasion. And our economy, our health care system, and our schools need the help of the generous Americans who are willing to serve. Today, with this legislation — it will pass tomorrow in the House — we will launch a new era of national service.

“The GIVE Act will create 175,000 new service opportunities — more than tripling the number of volunteers nationwide involved in this program. And it will reward those who volunteer with real investments nationwide. It will make tremendous change.

“This is one of those times where we have a bill that has a clear connection to millions of Americans, and also, not only to them and the use of their time, but the generosity of their spirit."

The GIVE Act (The Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act) focuses on reigniting the American landscape by leveraging the energy, passion and talents of citizens in order to give back to their communities. What makes the GIVE Act really important is that it calls on all generations to serve. This means that older Americans can share their experiences and insights with younger folks, who in turn can teach about technology and its practical uses, among other things.

All in all, the GIVE Act is comprehensive and inclusive. The Act includes opportunities for "green" volunteerism and under-served youth, as well as for high school, middle school and college students. Service-learning is another component that strengthens this bill, because helps citizens understand and refine their impact.

According to a release from Rep. George Miller's office, the legislation comes as nearly 65,000 college students prepare to volunteer and serve on alternative Spring Breaks this year – up 11 percent over last year. Young Americans are serving in record numbers – and facing a difficult job market in today’s economy. Of the 1.2 million jobs lost last year, 60 percent were held by workers under the age of 25.

Highlights from the bill are below. The GIVE Act will be on the House floor tomorrow. You can track the bill from here and contact your Elected Officials from here and here. Act now so that tomorrow we can get to work.

Creates 175,000 New Service Opportunities and Rewards Americans for Commitment

• Grows the number of volunteers nationwide to 250,000, up from 75,000. The bill also links the full-time education award to the maximum authorized Pell Grant award amount in order to keep up with rising college costs.

Provides Incentives for Middle and High School Students to Engage in Service

• Establishes the Summer of Service program that engages middle and high school students in volunteer activities in their communities and allows them to earn a $500 education award to be used for college costs.

Makes High School Students Part of Solution to Challenges in their Communities

• Establishes Youth Engagement Zones, a new service-learning program to help bridge partnerships between community based organizations and schools in high-need, low-income communities to engage high school students and out-of-school youth in service-learning to address specific challenges their communities face.

Recognizes and Supports Colleges and Universities Engaged in Service

• Establishes the Campuses of Service to support and recognize institutions of higher education with exemplary service-learning programs and assists students in the pursuit of public service careers.

Boosts Opportunities for Disadvantaged Youth

• Expands opportunities for disadvantaged youth, including those with disabilities, to become more involved with service and strives to include people of all ages and those from diverse background in volunteerism.

Creates Green and Other New Service Corps to Meet Key Needs in Low-Income Communities

• Establishes four new service corps to address key needs in low income communities, including a Clean Energy Corps to encourage energy efficiency and conservation measures, an Education Corps to help increase student engagement, achievement and graduation, a Healthy Futures Corps to improve health care access, and a Veterans Service Corps to enhance services for veterans.

Broadens Scope of Collaborative Service Efforts

• Expands the focus of the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) to include disaster relief, infrastructure improvement, environmental and energy conservation, and urban and rural development.

• Encourages service partnerships with other federal agencies.

Recruits Scientists and Engineers to Service to Keep America Competitive

• Recruits scientists, technicians, mathematicians and engineers into national service to help keep America competitive.

Expands Service Opportunities for Older Americans and Public-Private Partnerships

Creates two new fellowships to engage social entrepreneurs, boomers and retirees, the private sector and Americans from all generations in service.

• ServeAmerica Fellowships: ServeAmerica Fellows are individuals who propose their own plans for serving in their communities to address national needs and are matched up with a service sponsor.
• Silver Scholarships and Encore Fellowships: These programs offer boomers and seniors, age 55 or older, opportunities to transition into service post-career as well as entrance into new careers in the public or nonprofit sector.

Creates a nationwide community-based infrastructure to leverage investments in service

Builds a nationwide service infrastructure through community-building investments and social entrepreneurship.

• Community Solutions Fund: Creates a Community Solutions Fund pilot program that awards competitive matching grants to social entrepreneur venture funds in order to provide community organizations with the resources to replicate or expand proven solutions to community challenges.

Establishes Call to Service Campaigns

• Includes a Call to Service Campaign to launch a national campaign encouraging all Americans to engage in service and to observe September 11th as a National Day of Service and Remembrance.