FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Service Year Alliance Releases New Report that Reimagines National Service and Calls on President Biden to be the “Service President”
The new report, “Reimagining National Service: A Roadmap to a Service Presidency” outlines six recommendations for the Biden-Harris Administration to utilize national service to meet our nation’s top priorities
WASHINGTON, DC (April 26, 2021) – Service Year Alliance, a national nonprofit organization that is working to make national service a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans, released a new report on national service entitled: “Reimagining National Service: A Roadmap to a Service Presidency.” The report provides a recommended roadmap for how the Biden Administration can reimagine national service to meet the nation’s top priorities and make national service a cornerstone issue of his presidency.
“This new report aims to reimagine what it means to serve our country and serves as a roadmap to make national service a central part of the Biden Administration. As a lifelong public servant and advocate for service in all its forms, President Biden has an opportunity to become the Service President and make a bold investment in national service as a solution to today’s convergent crises,” said Jesse Colvin, CEO of Service Year Alliance. “National service can serve as a pathway to employment for young Americans, and forge a common American identity by bringing people from different backgrounds together in shared purpose to solve problems and meet the Administration's top priorities. By breaking down barriers to make national service more equitable and inclusive and making a historic call to service that meets the demands of our next generation, national service can become a critical tool for the Administration as it works to rebuild our economy.”
The report highlights the value of national service and its ability to serve as a tool for addressing the Biden-Harris Administration’s top priorities — COVID, climate and infrastructure, employment, racial justice, and restoring the soul of the nation. It demonstrates opportunities for expanding national service, outlines the gaps, and offers solutions to expand upon and strengthen the existing national service infrastructure. It offers six recommendations that would allow President Biden to make national service a foundational part of his Administration, building off the principles and ideals that have shaped his career.
These recommendations include:
- Expanding national service positions, including to 250,000 AmeriCorps positions a year, up from 75,000 a year today, 10,000 Peace Corps positions, and progress toward an ultimate goal of one million;
- Flooding the nonprofit sector and communities with critical support through a Service Year Fellowship and the creation of on-ramps for new programs;
- Leading a whole-of-government effort to put Americans into national service to meet our country’s urgent needs, including elevating service in the White House by creating a National Service Advisor and establishing service corps within and between departments and federal agencies;
- Launching an awareness campaign and an online portal to connect people to military, national, and public service opportunities;
- Making national service positions accessible to all young people in America by increasing stipends and benefits and eliminating barriers for groups working with opportunity youth; and
- Setting young people up for success by ensuring workforce development is integrated into national service programs.
The white paper will be presented in detail and discussed by a panel of experts at a virtual event with the Brookings Institution on Tuesday, May 4. Register for the event here.
For more information about this new report or to speak with Service Year Alliance about these recommendations, please contact Aly Ferguson at [email protected].
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About Service Year Alliance
Service Year Alliance is working to make a year of paid, full-time service — a service year — a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans. To achieve our mission, Service Year Alliance develops and documents evidence in priority focus areas to persuade decision makers to increase public and private investments in the service year ecosystem. We build coalitions and foster strategic corporate, community, and research partnerships and develop service year programs and resources in priority focus areas to strengthen the case for service years. We advance policy proposals that unlock public funds for service years to create the opportunity for all young Americans to serve. We elevate service years as an experience that transforms lives, strengthens communities, and fuels civic renewal. Finally, we manage ServiceYear.org, a technology platform that matches those who want to serve with paid service year opportunities. Learn more at ServiceYearAlliance.org.
