national service

by Chris Golden & Nick Troiano
co-Founders, myImpact.org

Last month, First Lady Michelle Obama formally kicked off United We Serve, a 12-week summer service initiative focused on key areas of the Administration’s economic recovery agenda and aimed both at engaging Americans in service and increasing the capacity of community organizations. This week, the focus of the initiative turns to education, a sector critical to the future of our country.

Americans give back to support our students and schools every day. Whether it is the parent donating classroom supplies because of reduced school district budgets, those who volunteer time to read at their local library or community center or the young college graduate who serves as part of national programs like AmeriCorps, City Year or Teach for America. Applications for these positions are at all-time highs; with Teach for America admitting 4,100 recruits this year out from over 35,000 applications.

Within our schools, the Learn and Serve America program, administered nationally by the Corporation for National & Community Service, utilizes a service-learning curriculum designed to encourage young people to identify and address immediate community needs while strengthening the capacity of their communities to address long-term challenges. During this summer of service, it is imperative that Congress realizes the need to fully fund the recently passed Serve America Act, which will allow programs like Learn & Serve to be scaled to reach even more young people.

We believe in the power of service, the timeless American tradition of giving back to our communities and country, as the basis for sustained solutions to the most pressing crises we face, including education and the rising high school dropout rate. (A student drops out of a public high school, on average, every 26 seconds. More than 1.2 million dropped out last year).

Further, we believe that the Millennial Generation, those younger than age 28, are uniquely positioned to utilize new technological tools to enhance and extend traditional service. As an emerging Millennial-led organization dedicated to expanding the reach of service to all Americans, we know the power and potential that social media and social networking can have to increasing citizen participation and civic engagement.

Through the online community we established at united.myImpact.org, organizations and individuals who are answering the call to serve are sharing their stories. The purpose of the community is not just for personal fulfillment, it is meant to inspire more Americans to give back.

A recent study showed that reading to a young person at least three times a week made that person twice as likely to score in the top 25% on standardized reading tests. Yet, the challenges go beyond finding the time to serve because another report recently found that in low-income neighborhoods there is an average one book for every 300 children.

A commitment to service and engagement will not end with the United We Serve initiative but this summer, and this week, is a reminder that despite the challenging times we live in, each person can do their part to give back and truly make a difference. We invite you to join this effort and then share your story with us—maybe it will inspire someone else and, together, we can all unite in service.

Chris Golden and Nick Troiano are the co-founders of myImpact.org, an emerging online platform for young Americans in full and part time national and community service programs.

To join the Online Community of United We Serve, visit united.myImpact.org.

By Chris Golden and Nick Troiano
Co-Founders, myImpact.org

President Obama and the First Lady launched “United We Serve” last month, a 12-week summer of service initiative whose goal is to engage all Americans in service projects, so that we may all be a part of the solution to our country’s most pressing challenges.

This week, the issues of hunger, homelessness and poverty are themes during an emphasis on “Community Renewal.” In the midst of a prolonged economic recession that began with a foreclosure and credit crisis and as local governments make difficult choices as a result of tightening municipal budgets; the need for renewing our communities could never be clearer. At the same time, there is a resounding belief that government cannot fix these problems alone and that citizens must come together, to take ownership of our communities again, working together to improve and renew them.

We believe that the Millennial Generation, those younger than age 28, wants to give back to our communities and to our country and that, with new technology and social networking, are in a unique position to do so. Giving back through service has always been an American tradition but today, with non-profit organizations struggling with an increased demand as their own budgets stay stagnant or in some cases are cut, volunteers are needed more than ever.

United We Serve is a prime opportunity to highlight the good works taking place in our communities and, by sharing their stories, to engage more Americans in service. Through the online community that we launched at united.myImpact.org, organizations and individuals from around the country are sharing how they are making an impact. They include Aramark workers in East Baltimore, Md. who this week will join in a day of service to build a new Community Resource Center and renovate an existing Community School and the Lion’s Club of America who continue their longstanding tradition of giving back.

We believe that the power of online social media, including technology that is still evolving, can make it even easier to serve and, moreover, can enhance and extend the service experience. We are founding myImpact.org as an online home of the service movement, where stories can be told, best practices exchanged and needs addressed. Building off of the tremendous energy following the passage this year of the Serve America Act and the success of this summer’s United We Serve initiative, we are well on our way to demonstrating the power that service can have to change our communities.

We are inspired by this moment in our country’s history and the tremendous opportunity that it presents to solve problems, both at the community and national levels. Service is key to our generation’s and our country’s future and we are proud to be enhancing the vision of Martin Luther King, Jr. when he said “everybody can be great because anybody can serve.”

Chris Golden and Nick Troiano are co-founders of myImpact.org, an emerging online platform for young people in full and part time national and community service programs.

To sign up for the online community of United We Serve, visit www.united.myImpact.org.

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.

The national service movement continues.

Newsweek's Jonathan Alter wrote last week about the "new era of national service" beginning under President Obama. As Alter noted, the impetus for this new era appears to be ready to pass through Congress soon.

The House's legislation -- the GIVE (Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education) Act -- and the Senate's Serve America Act will serve as the backbone for this new government-led movement (I wrote about the Serve America Act last month). Alter ran down what is included in the House legislation.

• A boost in the educational stipend offered in exchange for service to $5,350, with the provision that it will continue to rise in tandem with Pell grants. (Pay for full-time AmeriCorps service is about $11,000 a year.)
• A $500 education award for middle-school and high-school students who take part in a "Summer of Service" or other service activities.
• The establishment of a Clean Energy Corps, Education Corps, Healthy Futures Corps and Veterans Services Corps.
• The establishment of new ServeAmerica Fellowships.
• The expansion of the Civilian Community Corps to include work on weatherization and other energy-conservation projects.
• The expansion of the Peace Corps (to 16,000) and other existing programs.
• The designation of September 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance.

George Miller, the California representative who chairs the House Committee on Education and Labor, guided GIVE through his committee this week, with a strong bipartisan vote in favor of the legislation (34-3). The House is expected to vote on the bill early this coming week.

We've covered the bad economy's effect on youth in recent weeks here; these bills would increase the number of available options for those youth either looking for gainful employment or unable to pay for college.

Miller stresses two new components in particular. "We wanted to make sure that veterans are a fundamental part of it," he says. "And all through the process we were trying to link students to education, education, education." The idea is that young people having trouble paying for school—or looking for a job after graduation from high school or college (hundreds of thousands this spring)—will consider national service. An increased college stipend in exchange for tutoring, mentoring, feeding and other service activities could be attractive for students who have been dropping out of college in record numbers.

We have a ways to go in solving our myriad problems, but this legislation definitely gets us moving in the right direction. Cheers to Congressman Miller and Senators Hatch and Kennedy, and to all those working hard to get this bill passed.

The Serve America Act has been reintroduced in the Senate this session by Senators Ted Kennedy and Orrin Hatch (S.277) and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

The New York Times highlighted it in an editorial last Monday, arguing that, at a cost of $5 billion, the bill would be a thrifty, yet apt partner to the $825 billion stimulus package that the Congress is looking to pass. The Times also points out that Serve America matches the call for a "spirit of service" that Obama sounded in his inaugural address.

Kennedy and Hatch want to increase the number of full- and part-time volunteers national service volunteers to 250,000 from its current number of 75,000. The editorial goes on to describe the other contents of the bill.

The new positions would be devoted to meeting challenges in a handful of targeted areas: tackling the dropout crisis, strengthening schools, improving health care and economic opportunity in low-income communities, cleaning up parks, aiding efforts to boost energy efficiency, and responding to disasters and emergencies.

The Serve America Act is structured to invite participation by people of all income levels and ages, including retirees. It would offer tax incentives for employers who allow employees to take paid leave for full-time service, and permit older individuals to transfer their education awards to a child or grandchild. A new Volunteer Generation Fund would help nonprofit groups recruit and manage an expanding pool of volunteers.

This legislation dovetails with Obama's emphasis on responsibility and shared sacrifice. It would create additional jobs and continually improve our infrastructure and way of life. This is a fantastic opportunity for the government to invest in the citizenry, especially given the rise of the volunteer-heavy Millennial Generation and the popularity of President Obama's message.

Further reading:

Press release from Senator Kennedy's office

Summary of the bill

Twice in the past week I've heard people refer to the need for a "Craig's List for service." First at Roots Camp, where it was suggested that such a website/organizational model would make it easier for people to plug into various civic opportunities. The second time I heard it was from Craig himself.

Craig Newmark wrote a blog on the Huffington Post noting that the Obama Administration has made a call for such an entity on it's Change.gov site. Craig's got some good ideas as to what such a service might do and how it could evolve using existing infrastructure and institutions such as Volunteer Match and Kiva.org. Definitely worth a read if you are trying to conceptualize how Obama can make good on his promises regarding a new call to service in America.

Thursday night the presidential candidates talked about their views on service.

Obama: "America is the greatest country on earth, but it didn't just happen on its own. It is not a gift only.... it is a responsibility."

This has been a key component of the Obama campaign from the very beginning. If you remember his acceptance speech during the Democratic Convention his line "We are the ones we've been waiting for" is key in his belief that Americans can solve the difficult challenges we face with millions of hands working together.

"The choices we provide young people are too constrained. " Obama went on to say "The fact is that we have to have government. When a hurricane strikes, as it did with Katrina, we have to have a FEMA that works, which by the way, means that we should be encouraging young people, the best and the brightest, to get involved as civil servants, to pursue careers of public service so we've got people who are trained in federal emergency management who are able to take on the job. Now, that does not crowd out the Red Cross. That doesn't crowd out the thousands of church groups that went down there. What it means is that each area has a role to play"

Sen. Obama goes on to say that the 3 years he spent as a community organizer working with churches and setting up after school programs for youth were the greatest years of education he ever had because it enabled him to see the ways in which people were empowered when they were given a chance to take charge of their own lives.

"Ordinary people can do extraordinary things when they come together. That is what I want to inspire people to do."

When it was Sen. McCain's turn he used similar opportunities to talk about the importance of service but failed to talk about young people being encouraged by increases in federal or presidential enthusiasm. Instead he used the forum as an opportunity to talk about our impending war against Russia

"They understand the challenges that we have in this world. They see the Russian invasion of the little country called Georgia. They see the problems in Afghanistan growing larger. They see a whole lot of things happening in the world that's going to require us to serve, and that opportunity has to be provided to them."

McCain instead said that the government should limit its involvement in service encouragement.

"I'd be glad to reward [volunteers] them as much as possible. But you want to be careful that the reason is not the reward of financial or other reasons, but the reward is the satisfaction of serving a cause greater than yourself. ... Finding new ways to serve. That's what this next few years should be all about."

This is a stark contrast to Obama's plan to encourage people who can't always afford to serve after graduating from college $20,000 in debt. Obama said his education plan outlines a $4,000 credit to students each year that is dependent on the dedication of those same students giving back to their communities.

The highlight of the forum was the question about previous statements by Gov. Sarah Palin that she made accepting the VP nomination last week where she said:

"I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities,"

McCain's response to the question

"Look, Gov. Palin was responding to the criticism of her inexperience and her job as a mayor in a small town. That's what she was responding to. Of course I respect community organizers. Of course I respect people who serve their community. And Sen. Obama's record there is outstanding."

The spin on CNN afterward had a commentator who feared he would use naughty words in response to that statement saying that it was a boldface lie and that the McCain campaign knew exactly what it was doing when attacking Obama's work as a community organizer. The same commentator then said that Obama's response was weak and he was probably more angry about the comment by Palin.

When asked about McCain's comment, Gov. Sarah Palin said that it was sexist. (kidding)

One thing left out of the forum was the important statistic that your nation's youth are some of the most active community organizers and service volunteers in the country.

In John McCain's speech the other night, he tried to pull what he thought was a Barack Obama.

You well know I've been called a maverick, someone who...

... someone who marches to the beat of his own drum. Sometimes it's meant as a compliment; sometimes it's not. What it really means is I understand who I work for. I don't work for a party. I don't work for a special interest. I don't work for myself. I work for you.

Let's first agree that, aside from the lies peppered throughout the statement, it's a good one. McCain is saying that he's embracing a servant leadership model when it comes to leading Americans. Parties, special interests, and anything else that gets in the way of people -- phooey on them. I work for you, and as a result, you'll be the direct beneficiary when I get things done in office. McCain sees Obama's message of bottom-up change working and so he wants to own a piece of it as well.

But once again, John McCain just doesn't get it. The McCain leadership model, outlined in the paragraph above, misses what is so inspirational about Barack Obama's candidacy. It's not that Obama has pledged to fight for us. It's not just that he dedicates his life to opposing special interests and fighting for a post-partisan politics. The crux and appeal of Obama's campaign is his insistence that we can do things on our own, and that he challenges us to do it. Look at his acceptance speech and note the difference:

But I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the naysayers don't understand is that this election has never been about me. It's about you. It's about you.

For 18 long months, you have stood up, one by one, and said enough to the politics of the past. You understand that in this election, the greatest risk we can take is to try the same old politics with the same old players and expect a different result. You have shown what history teaches us -- that at defining moments like this one, the change we need doesn't come from Washington. Change comes to Washington. Change happens because the American people demand it -- because they rise up and insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics for a new time.

And there you have it: "I work for you" versus "It's all about you." John McCain's statement is self-less. But Barack Obama's is self-less and empowering. John McCain wants to strengthen the country through his own leadership that is in tune with the concerns of every American. Barack Obama wants to strengthen the country by challenging the country to tackle problems on their own, to make change on their own.

You'll be able to see these approaches when both candidates meet for the "A Nation of Service" event to be held on September 11th in New York City. Both candidates will appear separately and discuss national service and volunteerism and their plans for both should they be elected. Obama has a myriad of plans on this topic. McCain has, as far as I can tell, not released any national service plan.

In what has become one of the most recognized and admired passages in American history, John F. Kennedy didn't tell people he worked for them. He didn't discuss his penchant for fighting special interests or even his own political party. He spoke directly to voters: "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country." McCain would do well to note that the two big words in that statement are "you" and "do."

In a country that has the largest and most service-oriented generation becoming politically active, and in a nation that seemingly has problems escalating every day, Barack Obama is demonstrating that he understands what's at stake. Obama understands that in order to build for the future, you don't pursue gimmicks, political Band-Aids that get you by the next problem. We have too many problems for this. Instead, you train and inspire a whole generation of Americans to sacrifice, to fight on their own against the problems they face. You invest in them and provide them with a plan to get there -- one that acknowledges that one can serve his or her country without having to join the military. John McCain has not put forth an official plan on national service. Instead he wants us to trust him, because he works for us. If he works for us, and if we don't like our current administration (Bush's approval rating hovers around 30%), why did he vote for President Bush's policies 90% of the time? And then why should we trust him to work for us?

As Barack Obama says, "I'm asking you to believe. Not just about my ability to bring about real change in Washington... I'm asking you to believe in yours."

Some reading material for your Saturday evening:

• brownsox from Daily Kos interviewed Ashwin Madia, the Democratic House candidate in Minnesota's Third District, this past Wednesday and has video of it. Madia is a 30 year old Iraqi vet and a lawyer -- another young candidate.
• A story in an Appleton, WI newspaper focusing on local youth involvement this election cycle
• The Nation compares both candidates' policies on national service.
• DNC '08: Pundit playtime?
• Young voters energized the Iowa delegation/were energized themselves at the convention this week.
• What are Boomers reading online?
• A profile of Headcount.
• An explanation of both candidates' views with regard to students and college financial aid.
• Finally, a columnist at the Pensacola News Journal observes the Millennials/Gen Xers are ready to "throw the bums out" -- of both parties.

Update: Here is the documentary shown prior to Obama's acceptance speech. Some powerful stuff -- check it out:

As I noted in last Friday's Around the Tubes, Senetor Chris Dodd (D-CT), who is running for President, announced his National Service Agenda this weekend, and I am impressed.

Here are some of the plan's highlights:

• Promote the Corporation for National Service (CNS) to Cabinet Status. Through Executive Order, in a Dodd Administration, the Executive Director of the Corporation for National Service will be part of the Cabinet.

• Mandate School-Based Service as a Requirement for High School Graduation. Under the Dodd plan, every student in America will be required to perform 100 hours of community-based service prior to high school graduation.
• Double the Size of the Peace Corps by 2011 and Again by 2050. As President, Chris Dodd will double the number of Peace Corps volunteers, expand the number of countries in which volunteers are stationed and provide opportunities for Peace Corps volunteers to serve in their local communities when they return home.
• Dramatically increase the number of AmeriCorps Members to 1,000,000 and immediately raise the amount of the education award.. The Dodd plan will significantly increase the number of AmeriCorps volunteers and will annually increase the education award to reflect the skyrocketing cost of tuition.
• Create a Rapid Response Reserve Corps. Dodd's Rapid Response Reserve Corps will mobilize national service program alumni, as well as retired military and National Guard personnel, to respond to national disasters.

This plan is (imo) great for many reasons. First of all, as we like to point out on this site on a regular basis: young people are not apathetic, disengaged, slackers who are unwilling to do selfless work Instead, young people are volunteering in record numbers, but they do sometimes lack access to meaningful programs. We also have a great amount of need in our communities for the energy and excitement young people bring to civic project, and so this seems like a perfect way to engage young people and help our communities at the same time.

Second, I obviously think that it is extremely important for politicians to enact legislation that makes a positive impact on young people's lives and if Democrats want to ride the wave of youth interest in, and engagement of, the political process they're going to have to take the lead. Senator Dodd seems genuinely concerned about the problems facing young people and I really hope that youth focused groups bring attention to the legislation that Dodd is pushing for, which can give younger voters a reason to vote.

I really think that the focus on patriotism and working to improve our communities and our nation, rather than an overtly partisan appeal, is both effective and needed. Most young people who are volunteering do so to help out others and/or feel like a part of something bigger, and this type of appeal should resonate broadly and cut through the cynicism that I assume some feel when they hear political appeals like this. I personally always dreamed of joining the Peace Corps or doing some form of national service, but the opportunities never seemed real enough. I also feel a great pride in my community and my nation, and I would have (and still would) love to show that love by giving back in some non-military fashion. While I usually flinch at attempts to move past partisanship, when it comes to doing something that helps the greater good I believe that most people can agree to come together and work to make things better. (Please don't queue kumbaya )

What separates this plan, imo, from John Edward's OneCorps is that Edward's site focuses a little too much on the candidate and not enough on the overall mission,. This is one reason why I'd guess there aren't many young people pictured on the OneCorps site, and it's definitely the reason that I never really considered working through OneCorps.

There's a lot more to discuss about Dodd's plan, and about the virtues of national service in general, but I'll have to leave it for now. What do you think about this plan?

Below is the video of Dodd's announcement, the text can be found here.