If you told me that AmeriCorps applications were up, I’d say “That’s not too surprising.” Lots of Americans want to help their communities in these tough times, Boomers and Millennials are seriously civic-minded, and the traditional job market is dismal.
But if you told me applications had more than tripled, I would say, “Wow!”
Well, the Corporation for National and Community Service has been tracking their online application numbers, and we are definitely in Wow! territory.
Here is what CNCS’s reporting shows (note: online application numbers don’t represent ALL AmeriCorps applications, but serve as a good proxy for overall application trends):
• In June 2009, we received 34,373 online AmeriCorps applications, nearly triple the 11,814 online applications received in June of 2008.
• During the previous 8 months (Nov. 2008 – June 2009) AmeriCorps received 146,699 online applications, a 217 percent increase above the 46,221 applications received during the same 8 month period a year ago.
Interestingly, applications in January 2009-just as President Obama came in AND the depth of the economic crisis was being driven home–were up 617%(!) over January 2008
Here is CNCS’s analysis of the numbers, which makes for interesting reading (and also illustrates the importance of fully funding the Serve America Act to grow AmeriCorps):
We believe the increase in AmeriCorps applications is due to several factors. The economic downturn is likely having some effect, as college grads and others facing a bleak job market decide to take a closer look at public service positions like AmeriCorps. Serving in AmeriCorps gives recent grads and others valuable skills, money to pay for college and pay back loans, the chance to explore a career path, and, most important, the satisfaction that comes from serving others.
We also think there is an “Obama effect”. His campaign engaged millions of volunteers and he has made service a central cause of his Administration. The response to his call for a national day of service on King Day was astonishing. The Corporation has been promoting service on the King Holiday since 1994, and while it has grown every year, participation went off the charts in 2009 thanks to the President-elect’s call to service and making it a centerpiece of his Inauguration. We had more than 13,000 projects, more than doubling last year’s record of 5,000, and estimate more than one million Americans served that day, including hundreds of thousands of young people and college students. (For more on historic turnout on King Day, visit www.mlkday.gov)
Perhaps even more important than these two recent factors is a strong altruistic streak among today’s young adults. Today’s young people are volunteering and getting involved in politics at record levels. Volunteering by older teens has doubled since the 1980s. Numerous other studies also suggest that today’s youth are volunteering and interested in politics at higher rates than the past. Two-thirds of college freshmen believe it is essential or very important to help others, the highest this figure has been in the 25 years (UCLA study). There was strong voter turnout by 18-24 year-olds in the 2008 campaign. Millennials are not waiting for solutions – they are starting their own nonprofits and using cutting edge technology to organize and make a difference.
We think there are several big reasons why millennials are so involved:
• The catastrophes of 9-11 and Katrina were a wake up call and a call to action that gave young people a chance to be part of something larger than themselves.
• Community service and service-learning – a teaching method that combines classroom learning with community service – are much more prevalent in K-12 schools and colleges. (Our 2008 prevalence report found that 86% of high schools offer or encourage community service.)
• New technologies like Facebook and MySpace make it easier for young people to organize for change and connect with their peers – whether across town or across the world.
• AmeriCorps is a catching on as a way for young people to make an intensive commitment to helping others. More than 574,000 have served in AmeriCorps – many right out of high school or college — and many go into public service careers or start their own nonprofits.
***Article taken from Service Nation
Monday, July 20, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Major League Baseball Goes to Bat for United We Serve
All-Star Game Highlights President Obama’s United We Serve Initiative; MLB is First Sports League to Team with United We Serve
(Washington D.C.) -- Responding to President Obama’s call to service, Major League Baseball is making community service an overriding theme of the 80th All-Star Game and related events taking place in St. Louis this week.
From a charity run and benefit concert to community service projects and a Presidential video recognizing outstanding volunteers, Major League Baseball has embraced the President’s United We Serve initiative and put community service front and center in a variety of special events and the All-Star Game itself, which will be broadcast Tuesday night to millions of fans across the U.S. and around the world.
Major League Baseball is the first professional sports league to launch a major collaboration with United We Serve and the charity and community service initiatives are the most extensive in Major League Baseball All-Star history.
President Obama will throw out the game’s ceremonial first pitch and appear in a video featuring all of the living U.S. Presidents who are honoring 30 “All Stars Among Us,” outstanding volunteers being recognized for their acts of service to others.
United We Serve is President Obama’s challenge to all Americans to engage in sustained, meaningful community service to help in our nation’s renewal and recovery. Kicked off by First Lady Michelle Obama on June 22, United We Serve initially runs through a new National Day of Service on September 11. United We Serve is being led by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that improves lives and strengthens communities through fostering service and social innovation.
“Service is a solution to many of our toughest challenges and we need every American to help renew our nation by engaging in service to others," said Nicola Goren, Acting CEO of the Corporation. “Like baseball, service is a hallmark of our American character. We salute Major League Baseball for putting the spotlight on service and encouraging fans everywhere to make service a part of their daily lives.”
“The central theme of the 2009 All-Star Game is community service, celebrating the extraordinary work being done by ordinary people,” said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. “We are thrilled that we can come together with President Obama, who has encouraged a renewed spirit of national service, and illustrate a call to action in our communities.”
The charity and community service initiatives of the 2009 All-Star Game, which are themed "Going Beyond," will be the most extensive in the league’s history, raising millions of dollars for numerous organizations and reaching tens of millions of people with messages about service. Among the efforts:
Prior to the first pitch, President Obama along with former U.S. Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter will appear in a seven-minute video address as part of a special ceremony celebrating All-Stars Among Us.
On Tuesday, AmeriCorps members and volunteers will join MLB and Magical Builders to refurbish an inner-city baseball field in St. Louis used by local youth and paint a multi-purpose room inside the facility.
During the game, a public address announcement will be made encouraging fans to visit www.Serve.gov, a new website launched by the Corporation for National and Community Service and the White House that makes it easy for Americans to volunteer. Visitors to Serve.gov can type in their zip code to find local volunteer opportunities, recruit volunteers by posting their organization's projects, or get ideas for creating their own projects with friends, families, and neighbors.
The All-Star Program Book features a donated ad about United We Serve that drives readers to SERVE.gov and profiles outstanding volunteers.
United We Serve was highlighted at other festivities surrounding the game, including the free MLB All-Star Charity Concert presented by Pepsi benefitting Stand Up 2 Cancer which featured Sheryl Crow and Elvis Costello, the five-day interactive MLB All-Star FanFest, and signage and press conferences leading up the event.
After the All-Star game, individual MLB teams are expected to announce efforts to highlight community service and participate in United We Serve. Representatives from other sporting leagues and teams are developing similar efforts.
The United We Serve initiative aims to both drive volunteers to existing organizations and encourage individuals to organize their friends, families, and neighbors to develop their own service projects to meet pressing local needs. The Serve.gov website includes easy-to-use toolkits on projects such as organizing a book drive, creating a community garden, or conducting a home energy audit.
United We Serve reinforces the call President Obama made in his Inaugural Address for a “new era of responsibility.” The President has pledged to make service a central cause of his Administration, and has achieved early milestones including record turnout on the Martin Luther King Day of Service, Recovery Act funding to support 13,000 new AmeriCorps members, and the passage of the landmark Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, the most sweeping national service legislation in 75 years.
***
The 80th Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be played on Tuesday, July 14th in St. Louis and will feature the best of the American League taking on the top players of the National League. Major League Baseball has responded to United States of America President Barack Obama's call for community service through "United We Serve," a program which encourages Americans to engage in sustained and meaningful community service. The Midsummer Classic will be televised nationally on FOX Sports and will be shown around the world by Major League Baseball International. For more information about 2009 All-Star Summer, visit www.allstargame.com.
(Washington D.C.) -- Responding to President Obama’s call to service, Major League Baseball is making community service an overriding theme of the 80th All-Star Game and related events taking place in St. Louis this week.
From a charity run and benefit concert to community service projects and a Presidential video recognizing outstanding volunteers, Major League Baseball has embraced the President’s United We Serve initiative and put community service front and center in a variety of special events and the All-Star Game itself, which will be broadcast Tuesday night to millions of fans across the U.S. and around the world.
Major League Baseball is the first professional sports league to launch a major collaboration with United We Serve and the charity and community service initiatives are the most extensive in Major League Baseball All-Star history.
President Obama will throw out the game’s ceremonial first pitch and appear in a video featuring all of the living U.S. Presidents who are honoring 30 “All Stars Among Us,” outstanding volunteers being recognized for their acts of service to others.
United We Serve is President Obama’s challenge to all Americans to engage in sustained, meaningful community service to help in our nation’s renewal and recovery. Kicked off by First Lady Michelle Obama on June 22, United We Serve initially runs through a new National Day of Service on September 11. United We Serve is being led by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that improves lives and strengthens communities through fostering service and social innovation.
“Service is a solution to many of our toughest challenges and we need every American to help renew our nation by engaging in service to others," said Nicola Goren, Acting CEO of the Corporation. “Like baseball, service is a hallmark of our American character. We salute Major League Baseball for putting the spotlight on service and encouraging fans everywhere to make service a part of their daily lives.”
“The central theme of the 2009 All-Star Game is community service, celebrating the extraordinary work being done by ordinary people,” said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. “We are thrilled that we can come together with President Obama, who has encouraged a renewed spirit of national service, and illustrate a call to action in our communities.”
The charity and community service initiatives of the 2009 All-Star Game, which are themed "Going Beyond," will be the most extensive in the league’s history, raising millions of dollars for numerous organizations and reaching tens of millions of people with messages about service. Among the efforts:
Prior to the first pitch, President Obama along with former U.S. Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter will appear in a seven-minute video address as part of a special ceremony celebrating All-Stars Among Us.
On Tuesday, AmeriCorps members and volunteers will join MLB and Magical Builders to refurbish an inner-city baseball field in St. Louis used by local youth and paint a multi-purpose room inside the facility.
During the game, a public address announcement will be made encouraging fans to visit www.Serve.gov, a new website launched by the Corporation for National and Community Service and the White House that makes it easy for Americans to volunteer. Visitors to Serve.gov can type in their zip code to find local volunteer opportunities, recruit volunteers by posting their organization's projects, or get ideas for creating their own projects with friends, families, and neighbors.
The All-Star Program Book features a donated ad about United We Serve that drives readers to SERVE.gov and profiles outstanding volunteers.
United We Serve was highlighted at other festivities surrounding the game, including the free MLB All-Star Charity Concert presented by Pepsi benefitting Stand Up 2 Cancer which featured Sheryl Crow and Elvis Costello, the five-day interactive MLB All-Star FanFest, and signage and press conferences leading up the event.
After the All-Star game, individual MLB teams are expected to announce efforts to highlight community service and participate in United We Serve. Representatives from other sporting leagues and teams are developing similar efforts.
The United We Serve initiative aims to both drive volunteers to existing organizations and encourage individuals to organize their friends, families, and neighbors to develop their own service projects to meet pressing local needs. The Serve.gov website includes easy-to-use toolkits on projects such as organizing a book drive, creating a community garden, or conducting a home energy audit.
United We Serve reinforces the call President Obama made in his Inaugural Address for a “new era of responsibility.” The President has pledged to make service a central cause of his Administration, and has achieved early milestones including record turnout on the Martin Luther King Day of Service, Recovery Act funding to support 13,000 new AmeriCorps members, and the passage of the landmark Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, the most sweeping national service legislation in 75 years.
***
The 80th Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be played on Tuesday, July 14th in St. Louis and will feature the best of the American League taking on the top players of the National League. Major League Baseball has responded to United States of America President Barack Obama's call for community service through "United We Serve," a program which encourages Americans to engage in sustained and meaningful community service. The Midsummer Classic will be televised nationally on FOX Sports and will be shown around the world by Major League Baseball International. For more information about 2009 All-Star Summer, visit www.allstargame.com.
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