FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
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Corporation for National and Community Service
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Remarks to Media on Youth Helping America Study - David Eisner, CEO, Corporation for National and Community Service |
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Thanks Desiree, and welcome, everyone. I’m David Eisner, CEO of the
Corporation for National and Community Service. On behalf of the Corporation and
our partners – the U.S. Census Bureau and the nonprofit coalition Independent
Sector – I’m very excited to be presenting the results of the first federal
survey of youth volunteering in a decade. I’m especially excited because the
survey, and the Corporation’s new report based on that survey – titled “Youth
Helping America” – show that a culture of service has taken root among America’s
youth.
The survey reveals that 55 percent of young people ages 12 to 18 – about 15.5
million teenagers -- are actively giving back to their communities. In fact, the
teen volunteer rate of 55 percent is nearly twice the adult rate. At a time when
many people are worried that the United States is experiencing a general decline
in civic and political engagement, the high rate of volunteering among today’s
youth counters that notion and is extremely positive news for our nation as we
look to build a culture of citizenship to meet the many challenges that lie
ahead.
Part of what makes this survey special is its design. The survey questions
closely parallel the questions used in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ annual
Current Population Survey, which is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. And the
“universe” from which respondents were selected comprised households that had
recently completed the Current Population Survey and had indicated some level of
family volunteering. As such, the new survey sets a good baseline for future
studies and for direct comparisons with adult volunteering.
Another aspect of what makes this survey special is its results. The analysis
clearly demonstrates that young people are giving back to their communities in a
big way – that as we reach out to help America’s youth, youth are also helping
America. The analysis also shows that the social institutions of family, school,
religious organizations, and youth leadership organizations such as Scouts and
4H are key factors in determining levels of volunteering – and that the strength
of teens’ ties to each of those social institutions relates directly to the
intensity of their volunteering.
Because the Corporation administers the Learn and Serve America program –
which this week is celebrating its 15th anniversary – I want to make special
note of the role that service through schools plays in building citizens and
helping students succeed academically. The survey found that approximately 10.6
million youth – or 38 percent of the youth population – have engaged in
community service as part of a school activity. And much of that has to do with
the rapid spread of service-learning in elementary and secondary schools over
the past several decades.
Service-learning through the schools does several things. It helps students
succeed academically. Indeed, the study shows that those students who volunteer
do better in school than their counterparts who don’t volunteer. And, school
service helps build a broader culture of service, with students taking interest
in their communities. Tellingly, as only 5 percent of youth attributed their
volunteer activities to a school requirement.
The study also shows that the social institutions of family and religion are
critical factors in predicting not only whether youth will volunteer, but also
the extent of their commitment to volunteering. For example, youth from families
where at least one parent volunteers are almost twice as likely to volunteer as
youth with no family members who volunteer, and youth who attend religious
services regularly are one and a half times more likely to volunteer than those
who do not attend religious services. In short, the Corporation’s analysis
suggests that fostering environments that encourage volunteer activities among
youth is critical to creating a commitment to service and community. That means
doing more to spread service-learning and family volunteering, two areas of
particular interest to the Corporation. We know that volunteering is closely
related to other forms of civic engagement, and the more youth learn to interact
with their community, the more they develop the skills and sense of empowerment
necessary to become lifelong active citizens.
At this time, I’d be happy to answer any questions that you might have.
(Click
here to read Sayle's remarks)
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