FIRST JOINT APPEARANCE OF PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEES FOLLOWING THE PARTY CONVENTIONS
FORUM KICKS OFF HISTORIC SEPT. 11-12 SERVICENATION SUMMIT
 
August 21, 2008 [New York, NY] – Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain will discuss in depth their views on service and civic engagement in the post-9/11 world during a primetime forum on the evening of September 11 in New York City.

The Forum is being staged by ServiceNation, a dynamic new coalition of 110 organizations that has a collective reach of some 100 million Americans and is dedicated to strengthening our democracy and solving problems through civic engagement and service. It will be the opening event of the bipartisan, Sept. 11-12, ServiceNation summit, which will launch a one year grassroots campaign to expand voluntary community and national service opportunities for all Americans; use proven service strategies to tackle some of America’s most chronic social challenges; and call on all Americans to make service a bedrock ideal in our democracy

At the Forum, called “A Nation Of Service,” Senators McCain and Obama will appear on stage separately to discuss their respective visions for the role of service in America’s future. Richard Stengel, Managing Editor of TIME, will moderate, and the event will be open to all broadcast networks.

“I look forward to participating in the 9/11 service forum,” said Senator Obama. “After September 11, Americans of every age, race, region and walk of life were ready to step up and answer a new call of service for their country. Making that call to service will be a central cause of my presidency, because we need the active citizenship of the American people to meet the challenges of the 21st century."
 
"I am pleased to be participating in the ServiceNation Summit in New York City. The Summit will be an important remembrance of those that made the ultimate sacrifice serving their country and others as we focus on how to inspire others to serve causes greater than their own self-interest through national and community service," said Senator McCain.

The Forum audience will include 9/11 family members, young Americans, military veterans, and thought leaders, and questions can be submitted by the general public at http://tinyurl.com/6jmhd5. “The Presidential Candidates’ Forum will serve as a call to action for the next administration,” said Forum moderator and TIME managing editor Richard Stengel. “I hope to have candid conversations with Senators McCain and Obama about their plans for engaging more Americans in national service.”

GET INVOLVED

1. As a first step, you can help us let our leaders know that we are ready to become a ServiceNation by taking our service poll, and submitting a question to be asked at the Sept. 11 presidential candidates forum. (To inspire you, ServiceNation will select up to five of the best questions and offer the authors a ticket to the event!) Take the poll at: http://www.bethechangeinc.org/servicenation/take_action/poll/ysa
   
2. Sign on as a member of the ServiceNation Coalition - The ServiceNation Coalition is a group of local and regional organizations that believe that service is a means for solving some of our country’s most pressing and enduring social problems.  Download  the form at: http://tinyurl.com/5f3gx3
   
3. Plan a Day of Action event on September 27. Download a Day of Action event planning toolkit and register your event at: http://events.servicenation.org/
   
4. Connect with a Change Agent in your area to find out what's happening around ServiceNation in your area. View a list of Change Agents at: http://tinyurl.com/6jjr3w
   
5. Visit the ServiceNation website to learn more, sign up for updates, tell a friend about ServiceNation, and much, much more! Visit http://www.servicenation.org

We're just 45 days away from the 2^nd Annual National Learn & Serve Challenge.  Now is the perfect time for you to join your peers from around the country to shine the spotlight on service-learning in your local schools and community.

What is the National Learn & Serve Challenge?

The National Learn & Serve Challenge, October 6-12, 2008, is a concentrated week of special events and activities designed to spotlight service-learning successes around the country.  It is also designed to show support for Learn and Serve America and inspire other schools and communities to launch their own service-learning initiatives.

What Can You Do?

Below is a list of simple, but important ways you can participate:

1. Host a service-learning t-shirt or button day at your school or organization. Visit the Learn & Serve Challenge Online Store where you may purchase buttons, t-shirts, and other items on an as-needed basis.  Use the Host a Button or T-Shirt Day Activity Tip Sheet for more planning hints and good ideas.

If you're looking for a cost-effective way to show your service-learning pride, create your own stickers using labels.   Just email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it to receive a copy of the Learn & Serve Challenge logos that you can use to create your own stickers, buttons, or t-shirts. 

2.  Make a presentation to your local school board and/or city council.  Make sure service-learning is not the best kept secret in your school or community.  Use the Challenge as an opportunity to make key leaders aware of how service-learning is transforming lives and improving schools and communities right in their own backyard.  Download the Make a Presentation Activity Tip Sheet to learn more.

3. Include a service-learning update in your school or organization's newsletter or website.  Download sample text for newsletters, email announcements, and website features. 

4. Show the Bring Learning to Life Public Service Announcement or another service-learning video during an upcoming staff or board meeting.  Make plans to show the video to local community leaders and civic or service clubs, such as the Chamber of Commerce, Lions, Kiwanis, or Rotary Clubs.    Download the public service announcement to your computer or request a free copy today.

5. Set up a service-learning booth or exhibit table as part of key community events, such as a local football game or Back to School night. Use the Host an Open House Tip Sheet for more planning ideas.

6. This is a great time to start putting together the pieces for securing a proclamation from your mayor, city council members, governor, state superintendent, or board of education.  Allow four to six weeks to complete this process.  For step by step instructions, visit: http://www.learnandservechallenge.org/proclamation.php

And here’s the most important part.  Once you decide how your school or organization is going to participate in the National Learn & Serve Challenge, let us know how you’re going to Accept the Challenge.  Add your local event or activity to the listing of activities updated on the website regularly so that we can spread the news about how people are accepting the Challenge around the country.

Register your Challenge event by Friday, September 5, 2008 and become eligible to win an official “Learn & Serve Challenge Gift Bag,” which includes a variety of items from the Learn & Serve Challenge Online Store you can use to celebrate service-learning in your own school or community.  Register today!

America’s volunteers play a vital role in delivering services to their communities through nonprofits. But a painful quirk in federal tax law has created a barrier that is preventing many volunteers from doing what they really want to do, which is to help the needy in their communities. As a result, nonprofits from coast to coast have been losing volunteers because of high gas prices and this unfair tax statute.

TAKE ACTION ON THE GIVE ACT!

Fortunately, a bill was recently introduced to fix this problem: the Giving Incentives to Volunteers Everywhere Act of 2008 (GIVE Act) (S.3429) .  But when Congress comes back to DC from its August recess, it will have only three weeks to get the bill passed in both the House and Senate before it adjourns so members can seek re-election. Join NCNA and hundreds of other nonprofits in urging Congress to take action now on this vital issue! Send a letter to your Senators urging them to co-sponsor the bill and then send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper to keep your community informed. You can also learn more about real nonprofits affected by this issue; read about the background of this legislation; learn why NCNA has endorsed this legislation; or sign onto the letter of support on behalf of your organization. Please raise your voice for nonprofits and volunteers everywhere!

Introduced August 6th, by U.S. Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and John Ensign (R-NV), the GIVE Act addresses the adverse impacts on volunteers of high gas prices and discriminatory tax policy towards nonprofits by eliminating the disincentives that prevent charitable volunteers from doing what they really want to do, which is to help the needy in their communities. The GIVE Act, as introduced, would 1) raise the charitable mileage deduction from 14 cents to almost 41 cents; 2) eliminate the need for nonprofits to seek new legislation every year by setting the charitable volunteer rate at 70% of the standard business mileage rate as adjusted by the IRS; and 3) exclud e from any income tax consequence actual mileage reimbursements made to volunteers. These features not only address economic pain being felt in America’s communities, but also recognize the vital role the nonprofit sector plays in coordinating volunteer efforts to meet human needs.

Registration Now Open!
Voices for National Service Capitol Hill Day
September 24-25, 2008
Washington, DC

Be a voice for national service by visiting your Members of Congress during the Voices for National Service Capitol Hill Day on September 24-25, 2008. Last year, representatives of the national service field, including alumni, program staff, service partners, and corporate sponsors, visited with more than 120 congressional offices during the Voices for National Service Capitol Hill Day to discuss the federal investment in AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, and Senior Corps. The group brought evidence of programs’ performance and impact from 31 different states and more than 60 organizations.

We hope you will join us for a coordinated day of meetings on Capitol Hill that will inform Congress about the work performed by national service participants in every district in America.

For more information or to register, visit: http://www.voicesforservice.org/events.htm

We are excited that the No Child Left Inside Act is likely to be voted on by the House of Representatives in September. This comes after the NCLI Act won strong bipartisan support in the House Education and Labor Committee earlier this summer. Full House approval will be a great sign that members of Congress strongly support environmental education. This backing has grown because our representatives in Washington have heard again and again from people and organizations across the country who believe it is important to get children outside to learn and explore their natural world.

With the House now in August recess, we have a great opportunity for members of the NCLI Coalition to continue to spread the word about the need for high-quality environmental education directly to House members and the public.

To find out how to help, visit: http://www.cbf.org/site/DocServer/Email_to_Coalition_August_5.pdf?docID=12703

Nothing is more persuasive than seeing service-learning in action. Elected officials will understand the value of service-learning better when they see it first-hand. Planning and executing a site visit is a great way to show our policy makers how important it is to make investments in youth service and service-learning. As our Members of Congress gear up for their recess from August 11 – September 5 and return to their districts, now is an ideal time to invite them to visit your program. Take this opportunity to show them how additional service-learning resources could be spent—on successful, effective programs like yours.

Action Steps

• Select the project you would most like to showcase. Choose well-run projects that provide a clear link between service and academic or civic learning. Also be on the lookout for activities that have successfully involved students in decision-making and that have a very clear impact on their community.
• Start by sending a written invitation to the scheduler or appointments secretary. For Members of Congress, you should preferably make the first contact two to three months before the time you would like the visit to take place. Also, try to schedule visits during congressional recess periods, when your Member of Congress is more likely to be in his or her district.
• Sample Letter of Invitation for a Site Visit
• Find Members of Congress
• Include your superintendent, principal and school board in the visit.
• During the visit, be prepared to talk about ways that your Member of Congress can support service-learning. See a list of policies YSA supports here.
• Send a letter of appreciation after the official makes the visit, including a restatement of what you may be asking the elected official to do.

When to Schedule Site Visits

• During Congressional Recess - Recess periods are when Congress is not meeting in Washington D.C. Winter recess usually includes the month of December and early January; Easter recess includes the first three weeks of Aprill and the summer recess is usually the full month of August until after Labor Day.
• During Year-End Celebrations and Recognition Events - As the school year begins to wind down, service-learning supporters often plan year-end recognition events and ceremonies to celebrate another successful year of service-learning. Consider inviting public officials to participate in these celebrations with you.

Let Us Know What Happened

Once you've scheduled a site visit for your public official, tell us about it. Send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with the following information:

• your name
• your school/organization
• the names of public official(s) scheduled to visit your site and their staff
• the date and time of your visit
• a quick description of what you've planned or what happened during the visit
  

Thanks for all your work, and have a great site visit!

How to help get Sen. McCain to support the Public Service Academy is by using your efforts and persuasion. You can help by doing one (or more) of the following:

2.) Email Sen. Obama about the Public Service Academy asking for his support. When the menu asks for you to select an issue area, you may choose either "education" or "homeland security." Be sure to ask for a response!

Introduces Bill to Raise AmeriCorps Education Award, Grant Cabinet-Level Authority to Corporation for National Service

The U.S. House of Representatives today expressed its strong appreciation for AmeriCorps and its important contribution to our nation by overwhelmingly passing a resolution recognizing May 11-18 as AmeriCorps Week.

House Resolution 1173, which passed this afternoon by a 344-69 vote, “acknowledges the significant accomplishments of the AmeriCorps members, alumni, and community partners; recognizes the important contributions to the lives of our citizens by AmeriCorps members; and encourages citizens of all ages to consider serving in AmeriCorps.” (Full text below)

The bipartisan resolution was introduced on May 5 by Doris Matsui (D-CA), Co-Chair of the National Service Congressional Caucus.  A similar resolution has been introduced in the U.S. Senate (S.Res.548) by Senators Dodd (D-CT) and Cochran (R-MS) and 22 other cosponsors, and dozens of Governors and Mayors have issued AmeriCorps Week proclamations

On the House floor, several speakers noted AmeriCorps’ growth and impact, citing the fact that AmeriCorps 540,000 members have contributed more than 705 million hours of service since the program’s inception in 1994.  Others highlighted the life-long contribution of AmeriCorps alumni and how members become future civic leaders, public servants, and social entrepreneurs.

Alums Outpace Controlled Comparison Group in Public Service Careers, Civic Engagement, Community Activism, and Life Fulfillment

AmeriCorps is building a powerful pipeline for public servants, civic leaders, and social entrepreneurs, finds a new longitudinal study released today by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Released in coordination with a Brookings Institution briefing this morning, the study, Still Serving: Measuring the Eight-Year Impact of AmeriCorps on Alumni, is the most rigorous evaluation ever conducted on AmeriCorps’ long-term impacts on its members. Based on data collected eight years after members completed their year of service, the study conclusively demonstrates that AmeriCorps causes long-term positive impacts on the civic attitudes and behaviors of the program's alumni. AmeriCorps alums are significantly more civically engaged and more likely to pursue public service careers in the government and nonprofit sector than their counterparts in the scientifically crafted comparison group, which has also been tracked for eight years. They are also significantly more likely to be happy and satisfied with their lives. The report, executive summary, and other information is at www.NationalService.gov/research.

“Even those of us who started off believing that intense service can make better citizens have been astonished at the strength of these findings," said David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees AmeriCorps. “With more than 60 percent of our alums working in nonprofits or government, these results are way more than statistically significant. AmeriCorps is becoming America's most important pipeline to careers in nonprofits and government -- this at the same time that crisis level shortfalls in leadership and workforce are looming in these areas."

• Complete poll data
• Summary poll data
• Summary poll data in PowerPoint format

38 U.S. Senators signed on as original cosponsors of a resolution introduced by Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska proclaiming April 25 Global Youth Service Day in the United States and honoring youth volunteerism, service, and service-learning and the difference made in the lives of young people and in communities across the country and around the world. In addition to Senator Murkowski (R-AK), the 38 cosponsors include: Akaka (R-HI), Bayh (D-IN), Boxer (D-CA), Brown (D-OH), Burr (R-NC), Cantwell (D-WA), Cardin (D-MD), Casey (D-PA), Clinton (D-NY), Cochran (R-MS), Coleman (R-MN), Collins (R-ME), Craig (R-ID), Dodd (D-CT), Dole (R-NC), Durbin (D-IL), Feingold (D-WI), Feinstein (D-CA), Gregg (R-NH), Inouye (D-HI), Isakson (R-GA), Kennedy (D-MA), Kerry (D-MA), Landrieu (D-LA), Lautenberg (D-NJ), Levin (D-MI), Lieberman (ID-CT), Lincoln (D-AR), Martinez (R-FL), Menendez (D-NJ), Mikulski (D-MD), Murray (D-WA), Ben Nelson (D-NE), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Obama (D-IL), Specter (R-PA), Stevens (R-AK), and Tester (D-MT).

Read the Global Youth Service Day Resolution here.

As of April 21, Governors in 17 states have issued proclamations or letters of support: Gov. Riley of Alabama, Gov. Palin of Alaska, Gov. Riley of Connecticut, Gov. Perdue of Georgia, Gov. Blagojevich of Illinois, Gov. Sebelius of Kansas, Gov. Granholm of Michigan, Gov. Pawlenty of Minnesota, Gov. Schweitzer of Montana, Gov. Lynch of New Hampshire, Gov. Corzine of New Jersey, Gov. Rendell Pennsylvania, Gov. Sanford of South Carolina, Gov. Perry of Texas, Gov. Kaine of Virginia, Gov. Gregoire of Washington, and Gov. Doyle of Wisconsin. Many local officials have also issued proclamation or passed resolutions honoring Global Youth Service Day in their area.

Featuring Groundbreaking Research, New Grants, Recruitment Blitzes, & Events across the U.S.

The coast-to-coast recognition of AmeriCorps Week, from May 11-18, will spotlight how America’s social entrepreneurs at the national, state and local levels, are tackling high-school dropouts, prisoner re-entry, illiteracy, and other national challenges in partnership with the Federal program that engages Americans in intense citizen service. 

Plans for AmeriCorps week include hundreds of service projects and recruitment events, the release of a major and rigorous longitudinal study of the impact of AmeriCorps service eight years later; the announcement of new recipients of AmeriCorps competitive funding, and participation of Federal, state and local officials as well as nonprofit leaders.

“Across the country, AmeriCorps members are helping communities fight poverty, mentor youth, recover from disasters, raise graduation rates, build homes, and tackle our toughest social challenges,” said David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees AmeriCorps, including state and national grants, VISTA, and NCCC.  “What they get done during their service is extraordinary; and their engagement in their communities in their years after AmeriCorps is even more inspiring. We want AmeriCorps Week to inspire millions more Americans to serve, whether through AmeriCorps or Peace Corps or volunteering in your neighborhood.”
 

The national service field would like to thank those who reached out to their Members of Congress and asked them to co-sponsor resolutions recognizing AmeriCorps Week and honoring the contributions of the 542,000 AmeriCorps members and alumni who have served our nation since 1994. In the House this week, the co-chairs of the National Service Congressional Caucus, Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA), Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA), Rep. David Price (D-NC), and Rep. Chris Shays (R-CT), introduced H.Res.1173 in recognition of AmeriCorps Week.  In the Senate, Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) and 21 co-sponsors (listed below) introduced S.Res.548 on May 1, 2008.  Both resolutions were referred to their respective education committees, and we expect Congress to consider them during the week of May 11-18th.

Click to read: H.Res.1173 and S.Res.548

Senate Resolution Co-Sponsors
Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN)
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA)
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN)
Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT)
Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI)
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA)
Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT)
Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL)
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL)
Sen. John Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR)
Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS)

• For the past five years, only one penny of every new, real non-defense dollar spent by the federal government has gone to children and children’s programs.
•  Children’s spending makes up only 10 percent of the entire non-defense budget.
• The overall share of federal, non-defense spending going to children’s programs has dropped by ten percent over the past five years.
• Real discretionary spending on children has declined by more than six percent since 2004, while at the same time all other non-defense discretionary spending has increased by more than eight percent.

• Program descriptions.
• Current appropriation levels.
• Funding levels from the past five fiscal years.
• Proposed funding levels for the coming fiscal year.
• The change over time in funding as a percentage of growth (both in nominal and inflation adjusted terms).
• Highlights of specific programs, drawing attention to their significant role in the lives of children.

From ServeNext:

As young voter turnout - unseen since 1968 - continues to play an important role in the complex plot that is Election ‘08, New Hampshire Primary winners U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) join Iowa Caucus winners Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AR) and U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) as the four candidates (arguably) best poised to not only secure their party’s nomination and become the next President of the United States, but also expand National Service before the end of their first term.

• Senator McCain introduced legislation after 9/11 to expand AmeriCorps from 70k to 250k members.  He often speaks to the importance of National Service on the campaign trail as part of his stump speech, though he has yet to clearly outline a comprehensive plan.
• Senator Clinton announced at Plymouth State University her support for increasing Eli Segal Education Award from $4,725 to $10,000 for each year of National Service, expanding AmeriCorps by 100k members, and making it easier for military veterans to serve upon their return from active duty overseas. 
• Governor Huckabee has pledged to expand AmeriCorps to 170k members by the end of his first term as President.  He is also a big supporter of arts in the schools, suggesting that the Music National Service initiative might prove to be one of the bold, new ideas for his campaign embrace. 
• Senator Obama is the only one of the four winners yet to release a comprehensive plan or give a major policy address on National Service, which he gave before the Iowa Caucus.  He calls for doubling the Peace Corps and expanding AmeriCorps to 250k members.   

One thing is for certain… young people are voting and candidates will need to respond if they want to stay competitive.  Those who have proven themselves in these early nominating contests - on both sides of the aisle - have embraced National Service.  Who will step up their campaign platforms on the issue and who else will be the next to come on board as a way to unite the 18-29 year old demographic?    

Read more here.

From The National Service Advocate published by the National Service-Learning Partnership:

Since the days when President John F. Kennedy challenged the nation and its people to “ask not,” national and/or community service has been included in every U.S. president’s domestic agenda. Our current presidential hopefuls are continuing this tradition.

As voters gear up to take the polls on January 19th in Nevada, January 26th in South Carolina, and in 22 additional states on February 5th, we thought it might be interesting to explore how the candidates propose to engage younger Americans in meaningful service and civic action.

Only a few candidates have issued official policy proposals regarding national service for Americans of all ages. Of these plans, however, a few propose specific plans to engage young people in service-learning and school/campus-based service opportunities—including one very comprehensive proposal to expand service-learning by now former presidential candidate Senator Christopher Dodd. Check out What the Presidential Candidates Are Saying , a non-partisan brief overview of these plans and proposals