Youth Service and Critical Social Issues
This forum was held to
review of the impact of national service
on communities in
America
Over the last decade, national service has impacted the lives of countless Americans. This includes the 250,000 alumni of AmeriCorps, and millions of high school seniors and youth serving in their own communities. The positive effect of their efforts on the lives of others is a largely untold story. The year 2003 marked the tenth anniversary of the creation of the Corporation for National and Community Service. It was a time to look back and review the impacts of national service on communities inAmerica
To this end, Innovations in Civic Participation hosted a national forum inWashington , D.C.
The Impact of National Service on Critical Social Issues: Getting Things Done
Goals:
Many Presidents, including Former President Clinton and President Bush, have used service as a strategy for responding to important national priorities. For example, President Clinton used AmeriCorps members and other national service volunteers as a key part of America Reads, an initiative to improve the literacy of the country's youngest students. President Bush has adopted service as a strategy to help support homeland security initiatives. At the forum, Stephen Goldsmith, Les Lenkowsky, and John Bridgeland shared their perspectives on the role of service within the Bush administration. Representative Rosa DeLauro also spoke to participants and offered remarks about her new initiative, The Rite of Passage Community Service Program. A press release from Rep. DeLauro's office about her participation and the newly introduced bill is available here.
On the 16th, the participants gathered in a half day plenary session with panels that shared the first day's results and that addressed the bigger picture future for national service initiatives in theU.S.
Forum Sponsorship
The Impact of National Service on Critical Social Issues: Getting Things Done was organized by Innovations in Civic Participation. The forum received the generous support of The Atlantic Philanthropies, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Ford Foundation, Grantmaker Forum on National & Community Service, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Surdna Foundation, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. In addition, the Forum was co-sponsored by AARP, The National Collaboration for Youth, The National Council on Aging.
The final report from the forum summarizes the major sessions of the forum, lists the recommendations formulated by the participants in their small groups, and provides background information about the speakers as well as a roster of participants and a program directory.
Click here to download a copy.
Over the last decade, national service has impacted the lives of countless Americans. This includes the 250,000 alumni of AmeriCorps, and millions of high school seniors and youth serving in their own communities. The positive effect of their efforts on the lives of others is a largely untold story. The year 2003 marked the tenth anniversary of the creation of the Corporation for National and Community Service. It was a time to look back and review the impacts of national service on communities in
To this end, Innovations in Civic Participation hosted a national forum in
The Impact of National Service on Critical Social Issues: Getting Things Done
Goals:
-
Strengthen the impact of service on
the three highlighted
issue areas by sharing information on barriers
and best practices and building
an action agenda for the future;
-
Increase the national service field's
expertise in these
important issue areas;
-
Start a dialogue among participants
to inform the shape
and scope of future national service policies;
-
Raise public awareness of how service
can be an effective
strategy for tackling critical issues; and
-
Identify champions for national
service and these key
issues.
Many Presidents, including Former President Clinton and President Bush, have used service as a strategy for responding to important national priorities. For example, President Clinton used AmeriCorps members and other national service volunteers as a key part of America Reads, an initiative to improve the literacy of the country's youngest students. President Bush has adopted service as a strategy to help support homeland security initiatives. At the forum, Stephen Goldsmith, Les Lenkowsky, and John Bridgeland shared their perspectives on the role of service within the Bush administration. Representative Rosa DeLauro also spoke to participants and offered remarks about her new initiative, The Rite of Passage Community Service Program. A press release from Rep. DeLauro's office about her participation and the newly introduced bill is available here.
On the 16th, the participants gathered in a half day plenary session with panels that shared the first day's results and that addressed the bigger picture future for national service initiatives in the
Forum Sponsorship
The Impact of National Service on Critical Social Issues: Getting Things Done was organized by Innovations in Civic Participation. The forum received the generous support of The Atlantic Philanthropies, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Ford Foundation, Grantmaker Forum on National & Community Service, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Surdna Foundation, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. In addition, the Forum was co-sponsored by AARP, The National Collaboration for Youth, The National Council on Aging.
The final report from the forum summarizes the major sessions of the forum, lists the recommendations formulated by the participants in their small groups, and provides background information about the speakers as well as a roster of participants and a program directory.
Click here to download a copy.