Into volunteering, lets persuade them with a very specific benefit. Our volunteering as a pathway to employment that was released this report released last year has given us some very good news. If you are unemployed and youre looking for work and volunteer, you increase the likelihood of gaining a job about 27 . If you dont have a high school diploma, that likelihood raises up to 51 . If you live in a Rural Community and looking for woerk, you increase the likelihood about 55 . Because so many of our young people in the age group of 18 to 24 are looking for work, in fact, theyre in the bracket with the highest unemployment rates of any age group, we need to find ways to get them connected to jobs. And i think with this case study, now, that luring them in through the volunteering is a really good way to do so. Its going to help them but also the communities they served. More hands and hearts to help those that serve. So thats the case. How do we do it . The president s task force on expanding National Service that president obama issued over a year ago asked us and i cochair that with the domestic policy adviser to the president. Asked us to find new partnerships to grow opportunities for americans to serve. So we set out to work with other federal agencies, the private sector, nonprofits. Faith community. And im pleased to report that with our new partnerships, we have been able to enroll over 4,000 new americore members and 33 million committed to this. Now, thats through this these partnerships. And were looking for more. We said, well, another way is to lets find some resources. So we were able to identify up to 30 million in a partnership we call amercore partnerships challenge. And this partnership, for all of those that will take us up on it, will help us engage up to 8,000. Members in service over the next year or two. So this is College Scholarships that well be offering. Were looking for organizations who are willing to underwrite the modest living if youve got an idea and youre willing to underwrite some of that modest living allowance, were willing to partner with the educational scholarships and brand them as americorps members, which is a great opportunity to join with us. And im pleased that the ncoc under the leadership and the National Service alliance that he spoke about a few minutes ago has also also has this goal. To engage more americans, in particular that 18 to 24, 28year americans in service. Its led with a wonderful leader, general Stanley Mcchrystal who is being a wonderful face and a prolific champion. But i have to thank general mcchrystal for the leadership and all of the members of the National Service alliance, as well. Now, we know our opportunity, we need to get more americans to serve. Weve got partnerships available. Weve provided and set aside funding to do so. I know were going to engage more americans in service. In fact, we celebrated our 20th anniversary. Where we celebrated 900,000 americans have served in americorps over the last 20 years. Now, what weve learned from those who have served in americorps, is they learn great skills. How to be great speakers, connect services to individuals. They learn how to market a program. How to work through problems, and they learn how to serve with people different from themselves. All of these are characteristics that employers are looking for. And we would encourage employers to look for. They also have a bit service above self, mission above self mentality in their qualifications. And theyve competed for these positions. And theyve been selected. So, we are now going to ask employers across the country to recognize that National Service participants like the alums have great assets to offer an organization. At the 20th anniversary event, we were pleased to have president george w. Bush and laura bush give us a message during that day, and also president george h. W. Bush participated in a service at his home with americorps members where in all 50 states, the new class, 75,000 of them were inducted at the same moment in time on september 12th. On this day, president obama announced a new initiative called employers of National Service. We are asking employers to give a little bit of a preference to those who have served communities through americorps or peace corps or other National Service programs. Maybe in your advertisements that you post job applicants. You say americorps members, encourage to apply. Take it a step further, maybe wed ask those employers around the country, both nonprofits, private sector to put a check box in the application that says, have you served in a National Service program, like americorps or peace corps . Please describe your experience. Or maybe theres a point system they might want to encourage. Im very pleased were having an inaugural charter, employers of National Service partnerships challenge that will enlist employers around the country who will participate with us. And that deadline is december 31st. But im pleased to share a couple greater employers that have signed on. Disney, comcast and nbc universal, csx railroad, the american red cross, habitat for humanity, teach for america. The city of nashville was a first city. And the city of South Sioux City in nebraska. I was just in nebraska and announced this partnership with the first lady of nebraska on the steps last week. If you employ anyone, consider the alums of National Service participants. In your qualifications or someone you should look to to bring on to your team because i promise you, they will make Outstanding Team members. I am thrilled to be a part of this conference. Im thrilled to be a partner to the ncoc. And i support all the work that our universities and colleges are doing to connect our students to opportunities to serve. And lets work on that group who are not enrolled in college, as well. Im going to count all of you to join us in the americorps partnerships challenge, or any way you can find a vehicle, an avenue, for americans to serve our communities. Thank you so much for having me today. Really appreciate it. Thank you, wendy, before bringing out our next speakers, i wanted to give you a sneak peek at the civic life data coming out. I want to share two numbers with you. Two of them havent changed much, but the third i find interesting, 88 of americans ate dinner with friends and family. 56 of americans trusted most or all of their neighbors. Its the last number, 55 have some or great deal of confidence in the media. That sounds like a majority and large number, but went down seven points since 2011. And that sounds to me like thats worthy of a Civic Health Index report. We need to delve into that number. Of course, all of these numbers dont mean as much or dont have meaning in and of themselves where i disconnected from the people who do the work on the ground. Its those folks who in small and big ways make the difference in our communities. I want to invite a group of folks who have done that through National Service, mary bruce and her colleagues from americorps. Please joining me in welcoming them to the stage. Mary bruce. My dad dropped out of high school. He went back in his early 20s. I remember him telling me, he took it much more seriously the second time around. And there was another student who was being distracting in class. Hep didnt like that. My dad found that kid in the hallway, grabbed him by the collar, slammed him into the lockers, and threatened him within an inch of his life to pay attention. My dad said that helped that kid pay attention. My dad later went to college, but he didnt finish. And he always regretted that. So in our household growing up, college wasnt optional. My dads stories and hopes for us made us pay attention. So when our College Acceptance letters came, we were thrilled. But when, no matter how we ran the numbers, we found out we couldnt afford it, it was devastating. Late in my senior year of high school, i had to find something else. And i found americorps, and it changed my life. I moved from suburb bursuburban washington, d. C. Public schools. Fewer than half finished high school. I served as a tutor and mentor in a fourth grade classroom. I have never been so exhausted. I remember once i was walking to school. It was the winter holidays, and i wanted to do something for those kids. I bought crayons and small things and put them in gift bags and carefully tied ribbons on the gift bags. And i was in the middle of the sidewalk hands full of these gift bags and i broke down and cried. How are crayons possibly going to make a difference to these kids . I can see their faces so clearly. These kids were so smart and so hard working and stuck in a system that was completely failing them. These kids meads me pay attention. I dont know where they are today, but id like to think they were a little bit better prepared for the fifth grade because i was there. And more than that, i know im part of a movement. Of teachers and principals, poets and policy makers who were made in americorps. Individuals who continue to live a life of service because they served. The data shows that. 9 of 10 go on to work in the public sector. They say it was among the most significant in their life. Im thrilled to be joined by two alums, jeffrey and kelly. We were made in americorps. We are part of a movement, and im thrilled to have them share their stories today. Growing up, i was a bit of a nerdy kid. I was often bullied and picked on and in school. But despite that, i always had that inner sense of confidence that whatever i was going to do in life was going to be important. It was going to have an impact. I had that because of my parents, family, folks in the community who instilled that vision of the community into me. For me, i thought that would be science. I always wanted to be a doctor. I got my first microscope when i was 8 years old. Thought i was going to be in an emergency room, loved the show e. R. Thought i was going to find a cure for cancer. That would be my impact for the world. I was a bio major in college. In someone semester, i signed up for Service Learning course. I didnt know what Service Learning was. It sounded different and engaging, and i definitely didnt know that the service and the Service Learning course would assign me to a group home working with teenagers who have been removed from their families because of decisions they themselves had made or the decisions their care givers had made. But it did. And as i developed the relationships with those young people, i began to look at them and began to see my teenage self within them. When i looked in their eyes, i didnt see any light and i didnt hear any vision of what they thought their future could be. And it was in those moments i realize the impact i thought i would have through my work and life was likely going to look different. That one Service Learning course became another and another until when i graduated from college, i didnt want to go back to the bio lab. I was looking for leadership opportunity that was going to help me become a Service Professional that could impact the lives of young people. And i found what the Childrens Services in New Hampshire and it happened to be in anmericorps program. When i raised my right hand to take the pledge, i had no idea what participation that program was going to do me. It was going to ignite this lifelong thirst to empower and uplift and transform individuals and communities, but it did. And as a result, i stand before you today, back in the lab. In the social innovation lab, excited and honored to be part of a network of americorps alums, and working with organizations like ncoc exploring, how can we level volunteerism, Civic Engagement to address the challenges we face as a community, as a country and nation. Im jeffrey richardson, executive director, Mayors Office of volunteerism where were facilitating 500 National Service opportunities each year in the district that are getting things done. Thank you. So, good morning. My name is kelly tye, based in brooklyn, new york, and like my colleagues here, mary and jeffrey, i was made in americorps. When i graduated from college, i graduated with a major in urban planning comparative literature which clearly prepares you for life as a spoken word poet. I, actually, it was a threetime alternative spring break alum, which is, i think, almost a record. I wanted to do something with my life and i graduated from school in 2000. I had the benefit of always knowing that americ core was there and thats what i could do with my life when i wanted to contribute and give back to my community after i graduated from school, i served a year at Public Allies chicago, back then that was, you know, in large part due to michelle obama. And people would talk about how great the obamas were, and i was like, who are the obamas and why does everyone think theyre so great . But when i was in my time in ame americorps, i was doing youth entrepreneurship. And my first day on the job was everyones first day on the job since it was a startup. As well as in the early weeks of my time there, one of the major gang leaders in the neighborhood who was assassinated by a rival gang. There was so much happening in the community at that time. And as ive gone on all over the world, ill take that experience of not only serving in that space. But my cohort of friends that continue to make impacts in so many different fields. I would like to share a little poem with you all if thats all right. Yes . Is that all right . And i wrote this this in celebration of the 20th anniversary of americorps. Its dedicated to the 900,000 people who have served through americorps and all of you who care so deeply about contributing to our communities in so many ways. To find your place in the world where your leverage can mean everything. Where your courage can invite a child to read, a house to be built, a veteran to live more fully again, grasp hands in the circle. Where none of us know what we can be, not yet. We find out together. Planning nights at the school gym, packing medical supplies a the the clinic. Unjamming paper stuck in that printer. Driving that long stretch of road. Beyond the floodplain. Here, where value so often goes overlooked. Here in this place, this community, this person, you commit. Without maybe knowing exactly why yet. You commit ten months, a year, two years three, a lifetime, add to the billion of hours of work. The hundreds of thousands of hands working so hard to pull together what so often falls through the cracks. Find value here. Where it too often goes overlooked. Where its leverage can mean everything. For all of us. Every single one. Thank you all so much. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome john, chairman of the National Advisory board of the ncoc to present the award. Good morning. Were running a little behind, so i run on stage. Its uplifting to hear Service Learning translate into a lifelong thirst to Serve Community and country. What a wonderful display of and power of service. Hats off to mary bruce who is doing an extraordinary job and Wendy Spencer on behalf of our country who is helping to strengthen this service culture. 2 1 2 years ago, our next guest and keynote speaker was giving a talk on leadership at the ideas festival and ignited a nation with a big idea. He noted for the first time in history less than 1 of americans were serving in our military during war, leading to the complacent assumption that serving the country was somebody elses job. He went on to call for large scale National Service so that every Young American could have the shared experience of serving their nation. Either in the military or as a civilian. This grows out of his own service to country and record of achievement. Hes been praised for creating a revolution in warfare that infused intelligence and operations. A fourstar general, hes the former commander of u. S. And International Forces in afghanistan and iraq. Hes also the former leader of the joint special Operations Command jsoc, which oversees the most sensitive forces. His leadership of jsoc is credited with well known actions that made our country safer. Today through his work here at home, hes on the front lines of the National Service movement yet again. Bringing the same ingenuity and dedication he brought to the battlefield to the franklin project at the Aspen Institute and the new National Service alliance of which the National Conference on citizenship, Service Nation and voices for National Service are a proud part. He has recruited and led a highlevel team of advocates for National Service bringing in former secretaries of Service Service and state, leaders from every sector of life and tapped a talented marine corps veteran to lead the effort with his Extraordinary Team former cia analyst and former volunteers analyst, tess mason elder. And alan kasey is with us, as well. Hes encouraged us to apply some lessons to form a new National Service alliance with a common vision, clear goals, and a plan of action to meet them. He is also the author of the bestselling book, my share of the task. How many of you read it, please, hands go up, good, more of you should. And ne