Monthly Archives: November 2009

11.19.09
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Roosevelt Scholars Act Introduced in the Senate

Senators George Voinovich (R-OH) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) have recently introduced the Roosevelt Scholars Act of 2009 (S. 2789) to enable and attract highly qualified people to work for the federal government.

The legislation would fund Roosevelt Scholars to pursue degrees in high-skill, high-need fields while receiving tuition, room & board, and a stipend in exchange for a commitment to serve in the federal government – the civilian equivalent to the military’s successful ROTC program.The Roosevelt Scholars program is one effort in response to these looming workforce issues within the federal government:

  • 273,000 mission-critical positions in federal agencies that need to be filled by 2012
  • $20,056 average debt of 2007-2008 undergraduates who took out loans
  • $47,503 average total loan debt after completion of a graduate or professional degree program, effectively pricing many of our most talented students out of public service

Over 140 college and university presidents as well as leaders of associations and good government groups have endorsed the Roosevelt Scholars Act since Representatives David Price (D-NC) and Mike Castle (R-DE) introduced the bill in the House (H.R. 3510).

The Partnership for Public Service, an independent organization that educates people about federal government careers, is asking supporters to sign the online petition and send it to five friends who care about affordable education and a talented federal workforce, to call their Senators at 202-224-3121 and Representatives at 202-225-3121 and urge them to cosponsor the Roosevelt Scholars Act of 2009.

Read The Washington Post pieces by E.J. Dionne and Joe Davidson on Roosevelt Scholars.

11.16.09
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Keeping Your Sleep Debt Slim

cmw3_d_alarmclock1I’ve yet to hear an adult tell me on any given morning: “I’m soooo rested.  I had way too much sleep last night.”

On the other hand, we’d all be smiling if we had a nickel for every time someone said: “I’m soooo tired.  I didn’t get enough sleep.”  Demanding jobs, personal relationships, and day-to-day tasks consume our lives.  Yet the important task of sleeping seems to fall to the bottom of our priority list.  Sacrificing quality sleep, however, could potentially be adding to your sleep debt.  And who wants more debt?!

What is Sleep Debt?

Sleep debt is the accumulated sleep that is lost due to poor sleeping habits, sickness, or other causes that affect “peaceful” sleep.  This debt can become difficult to “pay back” if it becomes too large.  Adults roughly need between 7-9 hours of sleep Continue reading →

11.11.09
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Service Nation launches Mission Serve to Strengthen and Create Civilian-Military Service Partnerships

Michelle Obama and Jill Biden help kick off the Veteran’s Day launch of the new Service Nation initiative Mission Serve.

Today we pause to think of our veterans who have served our country in the Service. In honor of Veteran’s Day, Service Nation — the campaign to expand service opportunities — launches a new initiative, Mission Serve, to connect civilians and the military community in service.

Service Nation aims to strengthen the bonds between the military and civilian service worlds — two overlapping Continue reading →

11.08.09
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Youth Service is a Powerful Strategy for Youth Employment

Reports from the US and many other regions in the world continue to show that young people are bearing the brunt of the recession.

In the US, the Center for American Progress reports that minority workers, teens and less-educated workers have unemployment rates far above the national average. The latest available data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in July 2008, 3.4 million young people in the United States were unemployed representing a youth unemployment rate of 14 percent, the highest rate recorded for July since 1992.

According to the National Youth Employment Council, “an unprecedented “age twist” in employment rates occurred in the US over the past 8 years with older workers (55+) improving their employment rates strongly while teens and 20-24 year old males reached new post-World War II lows.”

This trend is true in many parts of the developing and developed world. In several countries, young people represent the largest cohort in society yet experience some of the lowest employment rates.

The Middle East/North Africa region has an unemployment rate near 15 percent, the highest of any region in the world. Young people in the region experience even greater unemployment with average rates of 25 percent, far exceeding the world Continue reading →

11.05.09
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Really? Another year?: Committing to Another Term of Service

This post was contributed by Kate Borman who is currently serving her second AmeriCorps VISTA term with ThreeSixty Journalism, a youth journalism program based at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN.

Most people are shocked to hear that I chose to serve a second term as an AmeriCorps VISTA member. While the decision to serve an additional year may not have been the easiest choice (thoughts of actually receiving an income prodded my mind constantly) it was equally responsible and wise. Sure the dwindling job market and suffering economy played a tremendous role in my decision – especially after several job interviews resulting in a job offered to someone who had three times my experience. But I made my decision based on richer reasons that have little to do with money.

  1. Long-term investment. Serving a second year means an additional education award, which means I can either use it for future school or to pay off loans. A year or two of service partially funds at least four years of school. Not to even mention the loan forbearance and paid interest. Talk about a steady ROI for such a short period of time.
  2. Professional development opportunities. What other job do you know that allots each of its employees at least $150 in training opportunities before they have even established a year at the organization? Very few to none. AmeriCorps VISTA encourages all of its members to seek out professional development opportunities and even pays for us to do so.
  3. Passion for the work. I consider myself lucky to serve with AmeriCorps simply because I love working with social service organizations and intend to stay in this field of work in the future. By committing to a second term with a different nonprofit, I am widening my perspectives about the operational and organizational structure of nonprofits.
  4. Career building and networking. Since I intend to continue working in nonprofits after my term of service, I am seeking out every opportunity to network and build my career. I was just getting my feet wet and establishing my position in my first term. Now I consciously network and build relationships with other professionals as an effort to best position and market myself for the future. Also, if anything, serving two terms with AmeriCorps only increases my chances as being taken seriously as a devoted nonprofit employee.
  5. Proving myself wrong. My first year of service is what many call a character-building year. For the most part, I did not enjoy my year much, and often felt the VISTAs in my office were being used as cheap labor. I figured this could not possibly be the case for all organizations, and was determined to prove myself wrong by making my second term much better than the first.

I understand that most do not choose to serve a second term for many reasons. However, even on my worst days, I am glad I took the plunge again. On those days, I remind myself that a year is a short commitment and, if anything, this is a huge learning experience from which I will walk away as a stronger, more educated and informed citizen.

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