Lexington, KY - President Obama's campaign tapped into a vein of altruism within the younger generation and their will to involve themselves in a movement to bring about positive change for the nation. Obama hopes to expand the Peace Corps and Americorps. He encourages productive involvement in our communities for all. Closer to home, Governor Steve Beshear's office also talks of the importance of engaging young people in public service. Many high schools require service hours for graduation, and college admission offices have long taken note of students' meaningful service commitments. Even Starbucks made a splash recently by offering a free cup of coffee to customers pledging five hours of public service. So imagine, if you will, taking this one giant step further and establishing what some would term a "civilian West Point."
According to the US Public Service Academy Web site (www.uspublicserviceacademy.org), the Academy "will be the civilian counterpart to the military service academies, a flagship institution designed to build a "more perfect union" by developing leaders of skill and character dedicated to service in the public sector. At the Academy, more than 5,000 students will get a federally subsidized undergraduate education focused on service and leadership development, followed by five years of service in public sector jobs following graduation. The Academy will develop a new generation of top-quality civilian leaders and will help transform the way Americans perceive, prepare for, and pursue public service."
In this time of increasing interest in public service among young people, and with support from political figures as diverse as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Republican from Texas, the proposed U.S. Public Service Academy is a concept that is ripe for action. Issues at hand, including climate change, economic uncertainty and changes in the world's political order, demand this younger generation's involvement because they need to help shape this world they will soon inherit.
When promising students tell us they'd like to spend their undergraduate years at a military academy so they may go on to serve their country, we don't hesitate to direct them toward West Point, Annapolis, or the U.S. Air Force or Coast Guard academies. We celebrate their sense of duty and pride in country. But where do we send students who want to serve their country in a non-military way?
How would it work?
Outstanding students from across the nation would enter an educational community prepared to produce agents of positive change for our nation. The proposed academy would offer a liberal arts education, internships and strong ethical training to launch students into careers benefiting the public. In return for a taxpayer-funded education, graduates would honor a five-year service commitment (in education, government, law enforcement, etc.), following the example of the military academies.
This academy would provide an exciting option for students in the Commonwealth of Kentucky not only because of the program's structure and benefit to society but also because tuition and fees would be funded federally. An excellent undergraduate degree program at no financial cost to the student: definitely a rare bird, and one highly prized in today's economic climate. Many talented students would gladly return the public's investment in them through their own public service.
Graduates of the academy would be well prepared to succeed at just about anything once they've fulfilled their service requirements, and certainly some may eventually enter the private sector. Qualities nurtured at the military academies would be nurtured likewise at the Public Service Academy: discipline, leadership, teamwork, perseverance, accomplishment. What business or organization would not find these qualifications compelling?
Adding to the landscape of service opportunity
Americorps, the Peace Corps, and organizations like Teach for America provide opportunities for meaningful service already. But the Public Service Academy's model is unique in its approach.
The military academies are not a suitable match for all who wish to serve. The need for this new academy is real. Students nationwide have voiced interest and excitement, and if this entity is funded, it is sure to produce an enormous response.
Steps needed now
Please visit the academy's Web site to learn more about this ambitious program. Then, take a moment to visit the Business Lexington Web site and add a comment to this column's posting. Let us know whether you favor the initiative or not, and let us know why.
Academy organizers have secured support from a number of members of Congress, but no elected officials from Kentucky have yet signed on. If you feel this is an idea whose time has come, perhaps you can help identify and contact government officials and educational leaders who will voice public support for the initiative. Know that we welcome additional volunteers in this effort.
The time is now, if you wish to be in the vanguard of this movement: help start an institution that will serve our nation proudly for generations to come. Let's give our young people who want to serve the country an additional choice, an opportunity to take a giant step into the world of public service.
Jane S. Shropshire guides students and families through the college search process as a professional consultant. Send questions or suggestions to JShrop@att.net.