Posted 05/11/2009 - 03:08:57pm by Terry Nagel
Congress passed the Serve America Act and President Obama signed it. Now it's time for public participation in shaping how the legislation is implemented, including innovative provisions such as Encore Fellowships.
The Serve America Act, set to go into effect on October 1, expands paid national service opportunities for all ages. Encore Fellowships, one-year management or leadership opportunities for Americans age 55 and older are intended to serve as transitions to longer encore careers in public service. In addition, the bill targets up to 25,000 AmeriCorps positions at older adults, and provides transferable educational vouchers (worth more than $5,000) and Silver Scholarships (of $1,000) for various levels of service.
Basic questions about the program are answered in a new "Frequently Asked Questions" document offered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, which is implementing the program. The Corporation, as it is called in the national service world, is seeking public input to determine:
- How can the Corporation and its partners attract people of all ages to serve?
- How can the Corporation and its partners identify and nurture new programs that can host additional AmeriCorps slots?
- What are the most promising approaches to promoting more service programs focused on education, healthy futures, clean energy, veterans and economic opportunity?
- How can the Corporation stimulate new partnerships, both within the government sector and with businesses and foundations, to combine our assets for greater impact?
- How do we better demonstrate impact, and as we move to more standardized performance measures, how do we preserve the diversity of programs and localized nature of solutions?
- How should the Serve America Fellows and Encore Fellows programs be implemented?
- How should the Silver Scholarship programs be implemented?
The Corporation is hosting a series of public listening sessions around the country. Speakers will be invited to speak in the order in which they sign up. You can RSVP to attend a session by clicking on one of the links below.
Wednesday, May 20 – Washington, D.C., 12:30-4:30 p.m.
Friday, May 22 – Boston, 9 a.m.-noon
Wednesday, May 27 – Salt Lake City, 9 a.m.-noon
Thursday, May 28 – New Orleans, 1-4 p.m.
For those not able to attend in person, the Corporation is seeking comments on an
online discussion board. It will host a series of conference calls in June. Individuals can also send comments by email to ServeAmericaAct@cns.gov; by fax to the attention of Amy Borgstrom, docket manager, at (202) 606-3467; or via letter to Amy Borgstrom, Docket Manager, Corporation for National and Community Service, 1201 New York Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20525.
Details on the public input process for the Serve America Act are outlined in the Federal Register.
You can read a summary of the legislation and follow its progress as it is implemented on the Corporation’s Serve America page.
- Terry Nagel's blog
- Login or register to post comments
- Email this page
Encore Leaders Speak at National Service Listening Session
Today I testified at the Washington, DC "Listening Session," hosted by the Corporation for National and Community Service to gather input about the implementation of the Serve America Act. Purpose Prize winners Martha Rollins and Dewey Houck also spoke about the value of national service to their communities, and the critical roles people of all ages can play in helping to meet the country's biggest challenges. My testimony focused on how national service can help people who have finished their mid-life careers make a transition to new work while making a difference. Gary Maxworthy -- who spent a year with VISTA at the San Francisco FoodBank before starting Farm to Family -- and Gina Casinelli, who's currently a Silicon Valley Encore Fellow at Citizen Schools, are great examples.
I hope you'll use Encore.org and the Corporation's online discussion board to tell your own stories and to make recommendations for how Serve America can best serve your community and your Encore!
--Michelle
Michelle Obama on Service for All Ages
First Lady Michelle Obama spoke to employees of the Corporation for National and Community Service today.
"Service isn't just for the young," she said. "We have so many people who are retired who are at the prime of their lives, because now 70 and 80 is like 50 and 60 was. Let me tell you, with my mom, we got to keep her moving. And this bill will allow us to capture the energy of so many of our older Americans, and allow them to continue to use their skills and gifts to pass on to the next generation."
The First Lady discussed her personal journey growing up in Chicago, rising to a high-paying legal job, and then shifting her career into public service – a journey that led to where she is today. Her experience founding and running the Chicago Public Allies AmeriCorps program had a transforming effect on her life.
“For those of you who have committed your lives to careers in service, you probably know what I'm talking about. You probably understand that feeling that you get when you help somebody achieve their goals, when you help a group of young people learn more about themselves by working with others, when you hire young diverse people, and you see them grow and develop. There is nothing more fulfilling. It's an opportunity to put your faith into action in a way that regular jobs don't allow; to use your larger talents for the greater good.”
David Bank
Editor, Encore.org