Embedded in our nation’s core values is a spirit of community, generosity and entrepreneurship—a can-do attitude that says no challenge is insurmountable.
When so many people are struggling to make ends meet, we need everyone pulling together to solve our nation’s problems and to lift up our fellow Americans. And this includes our young people. Today, more than ever, we need their energy, enthusiasm and idealism.
Service groups, non-profits, faith-based organizations, philanthropists, corporations, government and individuals all have a role to play in moving this country forward, and more and more students are filling these ranks.
Every day we hear stories of people rising to the occasion and making a real difference: the retiree who volunteers at the local elementary school to help children learn to read; the woman down the block who watches out for her neighbor’s kids after school — providing a snack, some wisdom and a home with a light on until parents return from a long day of work; the mothers and fathers in a neighborhood who coach Little League and soccer and teach kids about good sportsmanship and perseverance and teamwork.
These adults know the value of service and make it an integral part of their lives. And even more importantly, by being good neighbors, concerned citizens and solid role models, they are helping to train the next generation of community leaders.
When I made the decision to leave my job to found Public Allies in Chicago that prepares youth for public service, I realized right away that I had made the right decision. There are few things more rewarding than watching young people recognize they have the power to enrich not only their own lives, but the lives of those around them as well.
Research shows that the current generation of young people is one of the most socially conscious and active, with 61% of 13-to 25-year-olds saying they feel personally responsible for making a difference. And with the recent passage of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, we can tap into this enthusiasm and usher in a new era of service in this nation.
This bipartisan legislation promotes the cause of service among young people by investing in service-learning. It is never too early to encourage kids to better their community or begin investing in their own future.
Students such as those at the Collegiate School in Manhattan, led by Avery Hairston, who launched a program called RelightNY. They are working with companies and foundations to acquire energy-saving light bulbs and install them in low-income housing communities, saving on both electric costs and carbon emissions. These young men represent the next generation of social innovators!
The Serve America Act will also increase the number of full-and part-time service opportunities for college-age students by expanding AmeriCorps from 75,000 positions a year to 250,000 by 2017, and providing more than $5,000 a year to help those students pay for college.
Through a new service corps founded in the Serve America Act, students will work on national priorities such as education, health care and supporting veterans’ organizations. They will work with organizations such as YouthBuild, an AmeriCorps program providing opportunities for low-income youth to rebuild their communities, learn job skills, complete their high school education and graduate.
The message of YouthBuild is so important: Participating in national and community service is not just an escape for the wealthy or for those students who can afford it; it is an integral part of empowering all our young people and making our communities stronger.
And this is what I find so inspiring! From RelightNY to YouthBuild all demonstrate that, given the chance, young people will take responsibility for making their communities stronger. They know that each of us has something to contribute. And they are ready to lead the way.
社会意识、崇高精神以及企业家能力一直植根于我们民族的核心价值之中，这是一种“我能”的态度，坚信没有挑战是不能被超越的。
当所有人都在为生计挣扎的时候，需要大家齐心协力去解决国家的难题，去让我们美国人民振奋起来。这其中就包含我们的青年。今天我们比以往任何时候都需要青年人的活力、热情和理想主义。
服务团体、非营利机构、以信仰为基础的组织、慈善家、公司、政府以及个人在推进国家建设的任务中都有各自的角色。越来越多的学生也加入到建设大军当中。
每一天我们都会听说一些故事，人们应付自如却又发挥重要影响的故事：退休人员自愿在当地小学辅导孩子们学习；社区里的妇女照看邻居家放学的孩子，在他们的父母一整天工作结束之前，为孩子们提供一点小点心，教他们一些常识，为他们提供一个亮灯的家；社区里的父母们指导孩子们的“小同盟”，充当足球教练，教给他们优秀的运动员精神、坚定不移的信念和团队精神。
这些成年人了解服务的价值，把服务当成生命的主要部分。更重要的是，作为好邻居、关心别人的公民和可靠的行为榜样，他们实际上正在不遗余力地训练下一代的社会活动家。
当我放弃了工作而创办鼓励年轻人进入政府工作的“芝加哥公众联盟”的时候，我就立刻意识到这个决定是正确的。青年们拥有的力量不仅可以丰富自己的人生，同样也可以使身边人的生活丰富起来，能看着他们逐渐意识到这一点，没有什么比这更有意义。
研究表明，当前这一代青年人是社会上最自觉、最积极的人群之一，13至25岁的青年人中有61%的人表示他们觉得自己有责任产生影响。随着近来《爱德华•肯尼迪服务美国法》的签署，我们能够发扬这种热情，开创服务国家的新纪元。
这次两党联立的立法通过投注“服务学习”而促进了青年人的服务事业。应该更早地鼓励孩子们为更好地建设社会和发展自己的未来而努力。
像“重燃纽约”活动的开创者艾弗里•海尔斯顿领导下的曼哈顿学校的学生们一样，他们和公司、基金会合作，把节能灯泡安装在低收入住宅区，既节省用电又减少碳类排放。这些青年人是下一代社会改革家的代表！
《服务美国法案》将“美国志愿队”从一年75,000个职位扩展到2017年的250,000个职位，并且每年为学生提供超过5,000美元学费，因此也将会为大学生提供更多全职或兼职服务的机会。
《服务美国法案》创立了一个新的服务团队，学生们在教育、卫生保健及支持退伍老兵组织等方面，拥有全国范围内的优先服务权。他们和类似于“青年团”的各种组织合作。“青年团”是一个美国志愿队，为低收入的青年提供机会去重建家园、学习就业技能、完成高中学业然后毕业。
“青年团”的寓意非常重要：参与全国或者社区型的服务不仅仅是富人们从富裕生活中的逃离，也不仅仅面向那些能负担得起生活的学生，在授权给我们所有青年人去更好建设家园这项事业中，它占重要部分。
这就是我所发现的鼓舞人心的事情！从“重燃纽约”活动到“青年团”组织，所有的这些都证明，一旦有机会，青年人就会肩负起使命，将他们的家园建设得更好。他们明白每个人都要奉献，而他们即将成为领路人。
奥巴马：国家比任何时候都更需要充满朝气的理想主义
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