NYLC Supports Serve America Act, Advises Transition Team

With President Obama a strong champion of service, his support is driving the conversation for increased funding for service and service-learning legislation during this congressional session.

On January 17, Sens. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, along a bipartisan group of more than 20 senators introduced the Serve America Act. This legislation proposes an additional 175,000 Americans giving a year of service to address national issues including education, healthcare, housing, energy, and the environment. The Serve America Act also supports innovation in the nonprofit sector and international service opportunities.

Recently, the Corporation for National and Community Service Transition Team for President Obama asked NYLC to propose potential changes to current federal legislation including not only the Serve America Act, but also CNCS, the GIVE Act, and the Obama plan. NYLC called for maintaining many of the current features in the law and proposed specific changes, such as creating a high-level Learn and Serve Advisory Board and placing AmeriCorps members in Service-Learning Coordinator positions within schools.

NYLC also proposed the creation of an Office of Engaged Learning at the U.S. Department of Education to support the integration of service-learning emphasizing project-based, student-led educational models of teaching and learning, and the formation of an interagency taskforce to investigate opportunities for cross-departmental service-learning programming. Across all pieces of legislation, NYLC is supporting the high quality service-learning through the evidence-based K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice.

NYLC has been one of many agencies voicing support to the Minnesota delegation for the reauthorization of the National Community Service Act of 1990 and endorsing a letter from Voices for National Service. With 10,000 others, NYLC is calling on the President and members of Congress to invest in service and nonprofit sectors as part of the stimulus package. Such an investment could create new jobs, expand service opportunities, and foster innovation — providing vital services in the areas of education, the environment, poverty reduction, and more.

To read the Voices for National Service letter, click here.

To review NYLC legislative proposals, click here.