AS I SEE IT Giving Youth a Chance to Serve CITY Edition

As Americans, we share common goals: helping our elderly, ill, poor and disabled; protecting our environment; rebuilding our cities; educating our children, and teaching educationally disadvantaged adults. If we are going to progress and prosper into the 21st Century, we must begin to draw on an as...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNewsday
Main Author By Leon E. Panetta. Leon E. Panetta, a California Democrat, is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives
Format Newspaper Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Long Island, N.Y Newsday LLC 09.10.1985
EditionCombined editions
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Summary:As Americans, we share common goals: helping our elderly, ill, poor and disabled; protecting our environment; rebuilding our cities; educating our children, and teaching educationally disadvantaged adults. If we are going to progress and prosper into the 21st Century, we must begin to draw on an as yet untapped resource: the millions of young Americans who are able - and I believe, willing - to help. Along the West Coast, California Conservation Corps volunteers have provided essential disaster assistance, protecting homes from pounding surf and flooding, as well as long-term conservation and forestry work in the state's parks and public lands. In addition to their potential value in helping achieve national goals, youth service programs also confer an immeasurable benefit on their participants. With today's high youth unemployment, a large part of a generation is becoming dispirited and demoralized. Youth service can equip young people with marketable skills or let them test possible careers. But beyond that, meaningful service can help young people with the difficult transition from youth to adulthood. Public service can instill a sense of responsibility, pride and self-esteem that will last a lifetime.