Service Year Alliance CEO Kristen Bennett was a guest on the "Explain It to Me" podcast from Vox. Listen on Apple or Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

For decades, high schools and parents have prioritized college for all graduating seniors. Now, more students are asking if there's another way. 

For thousands of young people each year, service years provide a platform to gain skills, build personal and professional networks, and be of service to the community. Service Year Alliance CEO Kristen Bennett joined the episode to share why service years are an increasingly important option for Gen Z and Gen Alpha as they navigate the post-high school landscape. 

Reed & Young Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Promote Service & Boost Civic Engagement

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an effort to bring Americans together through service to the nation and their fellow citizens, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Todd Young (R-IN) reintroduced legislation that would create a whole of government approach to addressing military, national, and public service needs.

This legislation is based on recommendations published by the bipartisan National Commission on Military, National and Public Service that Senator Reed and the late Senator John McCain established to review the military selective service process and consider methods to increase participation in military, national, and other public service to address the needs of the nation. 

This legislation is endorsed by the Service Year Alliance, America’s Service Commissions, Voices for National Service, and With Honor Action.

“Service Year Alliance was proud to support the Unity Through Service Act when it was introduced, and we remain champions for the passage of this legislation today,” said Kristen Bennett, Chief Executive Officer of Service Year Alliance. “Americans want to serve, and it’s paramount that we bridge our efforts on military, national, and public service, as the Unity Through Service Act calls for, to best harness this goodwill for our shared future. As advocates for national service, we know that service years develop leaders, build skills for success in a changing economy, and offer solutions for creating more resilient communities — and we should be doing everything in our power to make it an opportunity for all. The Unity Through Service Act is a vital next step that brings us closer to achieving this vision.”

This week marks an important milestone in the history of national service in our country and in my service year journey. On December 12, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson welcomed the first Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA). In remarks shared at the occasion, the president stated, “You have come from every part of this country, from every age group, from every background…to open the door of American opportunity to all of our American people."
 
At a moment when it seems like there are more opportunities than ever to retreat into our respective bubbles, service years stand apart.
 
I answered the call to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA in 2008, and despite well-over one million Americans having served in national service programs like AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and YouthBuild, a lack of accessible pathways for young people to participate in service stifles their potential. Just imagine the transformative power if every high school graduate were not only aware of the benefits of a service year but also had access to one.
 
At Service Year Alliance, we’re dedicated to making this vision a reality. Throughout 2024, we redoubled our efforts to make service years more accessible through innovations tied to both the corps member and alumni experiences, and by unlocking additional federal and state resources to grow the number of positions available each year.

Service Year Alliance today released policy recommendations for the next U.S. presidential administration, elected officials, and policymakers that advance our vision to make national service a part of growing up in America.

This is a consequential moment to make a profound impact on young Americans and the future of our country. That is why we urge the next administration, along with elected officials and policymakers, to champion a year of paid, full-time civilian national service — a service year — that is accessible for young Americans of all backgrounds, addresses the most pressing challenges facing local communities, inspires civic engagement and social cohesion, and puts the next generation on a pathway to good-paying jobs or higher education.

Download Policy Recommendations

Today, America is grappling with existential questions about the future - about the economy, the environment, the potential for the next generation to earn and maintain fulfilling and family-sustaining careers, and our collective ability to come together as a country.

It’s time to rethink the role young people play in solving these key challenges. But we can’t just look to the next generation and expect them to solve issues that are deeply embedded in our culture. Instead, we must empower them with new ways to lead and pave a path toward a future where they are prepared to become the future employers, politicians, educators, neighbors, engaged citizens, and leaders that America needs.

Service Year Alliance released the following statement congratulating the winners of the 2024 AmeriCorps Alums Segal Leadership Award:

Service Year Alliance today announced, in partnership with the Eli J. & Phyllis N. Segal Citizen Leadership Program, the winners of the 2024 AmeriCorps Alums Segal Leadership Award, Ms. Julia Garcia and Ms. Priscilla Miller. The Segal Program provides emerging leaders an opportunity to join a community of other like-minded changemakers. As lifelong Segal Fellows, Ms. Garcia and Ms. Miller will take part in professional development, leadership resources, and a powerful community with which to continue their growth and impact as agents for social change. The two awardees were selected from an incredible group of over 65 inspiring applicants from across the country who all demonstrated the power of national service to change lives.

Julia Garcia is a 2024 AmeriCorps Alums Segal Fellow. Her passion for service is rooted in her dedication to creating sustainable and equitable communities through environmental justice. As a CivicSpark AmeriCorps Fellow with the Los Angeles County Internal Service Department’s Clean Energy Program, Julia led the design and deployment of an inclusive rollout strategy for the county’s 10-year EV charging station plan. At California State University, Long Beach, she currently serves as the Sustainable Transportation Coordinator. Julia is pursuing a double Master’s Degree in Infrastructure Management and Planning, Sustainable Transportation from the University of Washington.

Priscilla Miller is a 2024 AmeriCorps Alums Segal Fellow. As a three-time AmeriCorps member, Priscilla has dedicated herself to making a positive impact in her community and beyond. As an AmeriCorps Operation UNITE service corps member, Priscilla provided math instruction and drug prevention education to elementary school students using the “Too Good for Drugs” curricula. As part of the Kentucky Students for Disaster Readiness and Resiliency Corps (KY Ready Corps), she helped Kentucky communities prepare for and respond to natural disasters. Most recently, through the Kentucky Public Health AmeriCorps, Priscilla serves as a community health advocate, promoting harm reduction and suicide prevention resources as well as public benefits including supplemental food programs for women, infants, and children (WIC).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NEW: Young Americans Support the American Climate Corps, See Career Growth and Community-Building Opportunities in Green Jobs

While awareness of the ACC is limited, 73% of adults under 27 approve of the program. In focus groups, young people see the green industry as an area where they can attain job security and long-term career growth.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — New research from Data for Progress and Service Year Alliance finds that while they have heard little so far about the American Climate Corps, young people overwhelmingly say climate change is a concern and they want to take personal actions to protect our planet for future generations.

This past summer, the White House swore in the first class of the American Climate Corps (ACC), a federally supported workforce training and national service program that employs thousands of young Americans to tackle the climate crisis and its impacts.

The new research includes a national survey of young adults ages 18-26 and three national focus groups of 18- to 29-year-olds, both with a particular focus on BIPOC communities. Some of the top findings from the survey include:

• 81% of young people say that “climate change poses a serious threat to our future.”
• 67% of young people agree that they want to take more personal action to address climate change.
• 73% have a favorable opinion of the ACC.

Service Year Alliance released the following statement in support of the Promoting Service through AmeriCorps (PSA) Act of 2024

Service Year Alliance is proud to voice our support for the Promoting Service through AmeriCorps (PSA) Act of 2024. Introduced in bipartisan fashion by Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Representatives Garret Graves (R-LA) and Doris Matsui (D-CA), the PSA Act modernizes the AmeriCorps agency and strengthens the corps member experience - investments that will advance our shared vision of making service years a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans.

“We applaud the efforts of Senators Coons and Cassidy as well as Representatives Graves and Matsui to introduce the PSA Act, and with it, a commonsense set of reforms that enhance the corps member experience and care for the more than 1.3 million AmeriCorps alums,” said Kristen Bennett, CEO of Service Year Alliance. “It’s a fitting tribute to the founding class of AmeriCorps members who pledged to ‘get things done’ 30 years ago. This legislation can help ensure current and future generations of Americans will have the opportunity to follow in their footsteps.”

After more than eight years of impact, ServiceYear.org will officially pause operation on October 1, 2024. Through this wind down, our active support for the site will pause and functionality including the platform’s interactive portal will no longer be available to prospective and current service year applicants, host organizations, and service year alums. 

We’re committed to working with you through this transition. Visit our FAQ to learn more about steps you can take to prepare. 

This platform was established in 2015 with a simple purpose: to connect young people interested in doing a service year with paid service year opportunities. With your support and collaboration, we’ve been able to deliver on that promise, including helping enable more than 98,000 applications across 54,000 service year opportunities at over 600 host organizations. 

Service Year Alliance released the following statement in response to the Proposed Cuts to AmeriCorps and the American Climate Corps in the FY25 Budget: 

If enacted, the FY25 budget as proposed through House Appropriations Committee markups would not just slash funding for AmeriCorps and the American Climate Corps, but would irreparably set back national service in our country for years to come. Service Year Alliance is alarmed by these cuts and we urge Congress to not only reject this proposal but further bolster the FY24 enacted levels with an additional $345 million. Doing so will restore AmeriCorps to FY23 levels, spur necessary innovation and expansion, and bring us closer to achieving the vision set forth when AmeriCorps was founded 30 years ago: that every American who wanted to serve would have the chance to do so.

Houlahan, Panetta, Waltz, Bergman Introduce the Unity Through Service Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Michael Waltz (R-FL), and Jack Bergman (R-MI) introduced the Unity Through Service Act. This bipartisan, bicameral bill would establish the Interagency Council on Service to coordinate reviews of current programs and plan new strategies for recruitment. It would authorize a joint advertising and recruitment program with the Department of Defense, the National and Community Service, and the Peace Corps in order to share information. Moreover, the bill would help transitioning service members find future service opportunities and create a quadrennial report to Congress about public service initiatives.

The legislation is a direct result of the National Commission on Military, National and Public Service’s 2020 report, which included 124 recommendations. Rep. Panetta, in his role as then-cochair of the For Country Caucus, introduced the totality of the commission’s recommendations as the Inspire to Serve Act of 2021, which was co-led by Reps. Houlahan, Waltz, and others. The Unity Through Service Act represents one portion of that larger legislative package.