Today, more than 40 nonprofit and government organizations joined forces with the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, USA Freedom Corps, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington (BGCGW), and the Corporation for National and Community Service to celebrate National Volunteer Week and the commitment of America’s youth to volunteer service.
Actor Stephen Baldwin, singer Michael W. Smith, and other President’s Council members joined White House officials and nonprofit leaders at a Boys & Girls Club in Southeast Washington to highlight the importance of youth service and recognizing youth volunteers. Youth members of the BGCGW FBR Keystone Club were presented with the President’s Volunteer Service Award for their exemplary community service project “Capitol Hill Takeover.”
“Volunteers serve our community with tremendous dedication and enthusiasm,” said Jean Case, Chair of the President’s Council and CEO of the Case Foundation. “Without their assistance, we would not be able to provide the services vital to the health and well-being of our community.”
“Today’s young people face much more challenging issues than in the past,” said Roxanne Spillett, President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “Engaging youth in volunteer service helps arm them with the skills necessary to make a lasting impact on society.”
The event also launched a new online toolkit created in partnership with leading faith-based and community groups to engage youth from disadvantaged circumstances in volunteer service. Youth Engaged in Service: How and Why to Incorporate Volunteer Projects into Your Youth Program was developed in response to a study by the Corporation for National and Community Service that found that youth who volunteer are more likely to succeed in school and avoid risky behaviors; but that there is a disturbing “class gap” in teen volunteer rates with youth from low-income backgrounds volunteering at a rate of 43 percent, compared to 59 percent for other youth. The free online toolkit is available here.
“This study highlights that service can turn a young person’s life around, especially youth from disadvantaged backgrounds,” said Corporation CEO David Eisner. “Service helps young people succeed in school and in life, and fosters a generation of citizens who will serve throughout their lifetime.”
The online toolkit provides local youth leaders, coaches, ministers, volunteers, and community program coordinators with the tools and resources needed to incorporate youth service into their existing efforts in order to increase the number of youth from diverse backgrounds engaging in volunteer opportunities. The toolkit includes information on why it is important to engage youth in service, project examples, and strategies for starting and sustaining programs.
