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Monday, June 8, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Pres. Obama Nominates Maria Eitel to be next CEO of Corporation for National & Community Service
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
The White House
President Obama Announces Intention to Nominate Maria Eitel to be Chief Executive Officer for the Corporation for National and Community Service
WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intention to nominate Maria Eitel to be Chief Executive Officer for the Corporation for National and Community Service.
President Obama said, “I am pleased to announce my intent to nominate Maria Eitel to be CEO for the Corporation for National and Community Service. Maria brings a unique blend of skills and management experience that will help her successfully lead the Corporation during our Administration’s bold expansion of national service programs. Maria is genuinely passionate about the role of national and community service as a vehicle for engaging and mobilizing citizens in social change, and will bring new, creative thinking to the growth and mission of the Corporation.”
“I am deeply honored to be nominated to become CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. President Obama and all those who champion service have led us to this historic moment to redefine citizenship in this country. Should I be confirmed by the Senate, I look forward to helping make President Obama's vision a reality for everyone,” said Maria Eitel.
Maria Eitel , Nominee for Chief Executive Officer for the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Maria Eitel is the President of the Nike Foundation and a Vice President of NIKE, Inc. As president of the Nike Foundation, she has lead the Foundation’s work to increase opportunities for the world’s most disadvantaged girls.
Prior to becoming the Foundation’s first president, Ms. Eitel served as Nike Inc.’s first vice president for corporate responsibility, leading the development and implementation of the company’s first corporate responsibility agenda.
Before Nike, Ms. Eitel served as European corporate affairs group manager for Microsoft Corporation where she managed corporate, public and community affairs for the company’s European headquarters. Prior to Microsoft, she worked with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and MCI Communications Corp.
From 1989 to 1992, Ms. Eitel served in the White House as deputy director of media relations and later as special assistant to the President for media affairs. Ms. Eitel graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University, a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, and is an alumnus of the Stanford University Business School Executive Program.
###
Friday, April 17, 2009
CNCS Update on Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act
Friday, April 17, 2009
Office of the Acting CEO
Update on Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act
Dear Colleagues,
President Obama is expected to sign the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act into law in the coming days. This is a very exciting time for the Corporation and the entire national service and voluntary sector, representing both the culmination of years of hard work and the start of a new era of national service in America.
The Presidential bill-signing will be a landmark moment in the history of national service. We will be communicating with you again when we have details to share about the timing of the event and how you can watch and participate from afar in this historic moment. We also encourage you to use this opportunity to get the word out about the important work you are doing and discuss this milestone with your partners and volunteers.
This legislation is bold and far-reaching, authorizing a series of new initiatives, creating new programs for social innovation and volunteer generation, and making important and helpful changes to our existing operations. We hope you have had a chance to read the detailed summary and other explanatory materials about the bill on our legislation page.
We know you have lots of questions about the Act and how it will be implemented. Over the coming weeks and months, we will be working to answer those questions in the implementation process. We also will be developing a way to seek your input as we plan for carrying out the Act.
There are two broad points about implementation that we would like to emphasize. First, the law goes into effect on October 1, 2009, not on the day the President signs it. Congress chose this date to provide time for the Corporation and the national service field to plan and prepare for the extensive changes established in the law, and to coincide with the beginning of the next fiscal year.
Second, the Serve America Act is an authorization bill, not an appropriations bill. It makes changes in the underlying statutes that shape our programs and sets funding thresholds, but it does not itself fund them. The actual funding is set through the annual appropriations process.
The President’s detailed budget request for FY 2010, expected later this spring, will be the starting point for that process, which will culminate in the fall. We will be working closely with Congress and the White House throughout this process to support the budget proposed by the President.
We wouldn’t have reached this historic landmark without the decades of hard work and resulting impact of national service participants and staff. The strong bipartisan votes in the House and Senate are a testament to the value of what our Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, VISTA, NCCC, Learn and Serve America, and other national service programs accomplish every day on the frontlines of communities across America. Many thanks for all that you do, and for your work in the days ahead.
In Service,
Nicola Goren
Acting CEO
Corporation for National and Community Service
Office of the Acting CEO
Update on Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act
Dear Colleagues,
President Obama is expected to sign the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act into law in the coming days. This is a very exciting time for the Corporation and the entire national service and voluntary sector, representing both the culmination of years of hard work and the start of a new era of national service in America.
The Presidential bill-signing will be a landmark moment in the history of national service. We will be communicating with you again when we have details to share about the timing of the event and how you can watch and participate from afar in this historic moment. We also encourage you to use this opportunity to get the word out about the important work you are doing and discuss this milestone with your partners and volunteers.
This legislation is bold and far-reaching, authorizing a series of new initiatives, creating new programs for social innovation and volunteer generation, and making important and helpful changes to our existing operations. We hope you have had a chance to read the detailed summary and other explanatory materials about the bill on our legislation page.
We know you have lots of questions about the Act and how it will be implemented. Over the coming weeks and months, we will be working to answer those questions in the implementation process. We also will be developing a way to seek your input as we plan for carrying out the Act.
There are two broad points about implementation that we would like to emphasize. First, the law goes into effect on October 1, 2009, not on the day the President signs it. Congress chose this date to provide time for the Corporation and the national service field to plan and prepare for the extensive changes established in the law, and to coincide with the beginning of the next fiscal year.
Second, the Serve America Act is an authorization bill, not an appropriations bill. It makes changes in the underlying statutes that shape our programs and sets funding thresholds, but it does not itself fund them. The actual funding is set through the annual appropriations process.
The President’s detailed budget request for FY 2010, expected later this spring, will be the starting point for that process, which will culminate in the fall. We will be working closely with Congress and the White House throughout this process to support the budget proposed by the President.
We wouldn’t have reached this historic landmark without the decades of hard work and resulting impact of national service participants and staff. The strong bipartisan votes in the House and Senate are a testament to the value of what our Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, VISTA, NCCC, Learn and Serve America, and other national service programs accomplish every day on the frontlines of communities across America. Many thanks for all that you do, and for your work in the days ahead.
In Service,
Nicola Goren
Acting CEO
Corporation for National and Community Service
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Michelle Obama Op/Ed in USA Today on Serve America Act
Nation needs youthful idealism more than ever
By Michelle Obama for USA TODAY
Embedded in our nation's core values is a spirit of community, generosity and entrepreneurship — a can-do attitude that says no challenge is insurmountable.
When so many people are struggling to make ends meet, we need everyone pulling together to solve our nation's problems and to lift up our fellow Americans. And this includes our young people. Today, more than ever, we need their energy, enthusiasm and idealism.
Service groups, non-profits, faith-based organizations, philanthropists, corporations, government and individuals all have a role to play in moving this country forward, and more and more students are filling these ranks.
Every day we hear stories of people rising to the occasion and making a real difference: the retiree who volunteers at the local elementary school to help children learn to read; the woman down the block who watches out for her neighbor's kids after school — providing a snack, some wisdom and a home with a light on until parents return from a long day of work; the mothers and fathers in a neighborhood who coach Little League and soccer and teach kids about good sportsmanship and perseverance and teamwork.
These adults know the value of service and make it an integral part of their lives. And even more importantly, by being good neighbors, concerned citizens and solid role models, they are helping to train the next generation of community leaders.
When I made the decision to leave my job to found Public Allies, an AmeriCorps program in Chicago that prepares youth for public service, I realized right away that I had made the right decision. There are few things more rewarding than watching young people recognize they have the power to enrich not only their own lives, but the lives of those around them as well.
Research shows that the current generation of young people is one of the most socially conscious and active, with 61% of 13- to 25-year-olds saying they feel personally responsible for making a difference in the world. And with the recent passage of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, we can tap into this enthusiasm and usher in a new era of service in this nation.
This bipartisan legislation promotes the cause of service among young people by investing in service-learning. It is never too early to encourage kids to better their community or begin investing in their own future. And some are truly making a difference.
Students such as those at the Collegiate School in Manhattan, led by Avery Hairston, who launched a program called RelightNY. They are working with companies and foundations to acquire energy-saving light bulbs and install them in low-income housing communities, saving on both electric costs and carbon emissions. These young men represent the next generation of social innovators!
The Serve America Act will also dramatically increase the number of full- and part-time service opportunities for college-age students by expanding AmeriCorps from 75,000 positions a year to 250,000 by 2017, and providing more than $5,000 a year to help those students pay for college.
This will help folks such as Kierstin Quinsland of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and Nicole Fauble of the Lutheran Volunteer Corps, who work at Miriam's Kitchen, a homeless service agency near the White House. Every day, Kierstin and Nicole provide case management services to homeless men and women who come for a nutritious meal served in an atmosphere of dignity and respect.
Each has recently signed up to volunteer for an additional year at Miriam's.
Through a new service corps founded in the Serve America Act, students will work on national priorities such as education, health care, clean energy and supporting veterans' organizations.
They will work with organizations such as YouthBuild, an AmeriCorps program providing opportunities for low-income youth to rebuild their communities, learn job skills, complete their high school education and graduate.
YouthBuild began more than 30 years ago as a program to rebuild housing units in low-income communities. It has withstood the test of time because it has evolved to include green building, energy-saving practices and environmental awareness programs.
The message of YouthBuild is so important: Participating in national and community service is not just an escape for the wealthy or for those students who can afford it; it is an integral part of empowering all our young people and making our communities stronger.
And this is what I find so inspiring. RelightNY, the JVC and the LVC and YouthBuild all demonstrate that, given the chance, young people will take responsibility for making their communities stronger. They know that each of us has something to contribute. And they are ready to lead the way.
By Michelle Obama for USA TODAY
Embedded in our nation's core values is a spirit of community, generosity and entrepreneurship — a can-do attitude that says no challenge is insurmountable.
When so many people are struggling to make ends meet, we need everyone pulling together to solve our nation's problems and to lift up our fellow Americans. And this includes our young people. Today, more than ever, we need their energy, enthusiasm and idealism.
Service groups, non-profits, faith-based organizations, philanthropists, corporations, government and individuals all have a role to play in moving this country forward, and more and more students are filling these ranks.
Every day we hear stories of people rising to the occasion and making a real difference: the retiree who volunteers at the local elementary school to help children learn to read; the woman down the block who watches out for her neighbor's kids after school — providing a snack, some wisdom and a home with a light on until parents return from a long day of work; the mothers and fathers in a neighborhood who coach Little League and soccer and teach kids about good sportsmanship and perseverance and teamwork.
These adults know the value of service and make it an integral part of their lives. And even more importantly, by being good neighbors, concerned citizens and solid role models, they are helping to train the next generation of community leaders.
When I made the decision to leave my job to found Public Allies, an AmeriCorps program in Chicago that prepares youth for public service, I realized right away that I had made the right decision. There are few things more rewarding than watching young people recognize they have the power to enrich not only their own lives, but the lives of those around them as well.
Research shows that the current generation of young people is one of the most socially conscious and active, with 61% of 13- to 25-year-olds saying they feel personally responsible for making a difference in the world. And with the recent passage of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, we can tap into this enthusiasm and usher in a new era of service in this nation.
This bipartisan legislation promotes the cause of service among young people by investing in service-learning. It is never too early to encourage kids to better their community or begin investing in their own future. And some are truly making a difference.
Students such as those at the Collegiate School in Manhattan, led by Avery Hairston, who launched a program called RelightNY. They are working with companies and foundations to acquire energy-saving light bulbs and install them in low-income housing communities, saving on both electric costs and carbon emissions. These young men represent the next generation of social innovators!
The Serve America Act will also dramatically increase the number of full- and part-time service opportunities for college-age students by expanding AmeriCorps from 75,000 positions a year to 250,000 by 2017, and providing more than $5,000 a year to help those students pay for college.
This will help folks such as Kierstin Quinsland of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and Nicole Fauble of the Lutheran Volunteer Corps, who work at Miriam's Kitchen, a homeless service agency near the White House. Every day, Kierstin and Nicole provide case management services to homeless men and women who come for a nutritious meal served in an atmosphere of dignity and respect.
Each has recently signed up to volunteer for an additional year at Miriam's.
Through a new service corps founded in the Serve America Act, students will work on national priorities such as education, health care, clean energy and supporting veterans' organizations.
They will work with organizations such as YouthBuild, an AmeriCorps program providing opportunities for low-income youth to rebuild their communities, learn job skills, complete their high school education and graduate.
YouthBuild began more than 30 years ago as a program to rebuild housing units in low-income communities. It has withstood the test of time because it has evolved to include green building, energy-saving practices and environmental awareness programs.
The message of YouthBuild is so important: Participating in national and community service is not just an escape for the wealthy or for those students who can afford it; it is an integral part of empowering all our young people and making our communities stronger.
And this is what I find so inspiring. RelightNY, the JVC and the LVC and YouthBuild all demonstrate that, given the chance, young people will take responsibility for making their communities stronger. They know that each of us has something to contribute. And they are ready to lead the way.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Statement on House Approval of H.R. 1388
With the House action this afternoon to approve the Senate Amendments to H.R. 1388, the Serve America Act now goes to President Obama’s desk. The speed at which this historic legislation moved through both houses of Congress is remarkable and is a strong statement of support for national service programs across all ages and all parts of our country.
Just last September, the Kennedy/Hatch Serve America Act was introduced at the ServiceNation Summit in New York City when then Senator Obama and Senator McCain shared a stage to discuss service in the context of the 2008 presidential campaign. In his Inaugural Address, President Obama issued a new call to define citizenship century and in his Address to the Congress, the only specific piece of legislation the President mentioned was the Serve America Act. In mid-February, both the Senate Health Education Labor & Pensions Committee and the House Education & Labor Committee held hearings on national service reform and subsequently marked up bills which we quickly brought to the floor and voted upon with strong bipartisan support.
Today is an exciting day for those who have worked so hard on this bill but, more importantly, it is a day when the dedication and commitment of Americans in service is affirmed and strengthened. This is especially important for Millennials in service, a generation answering a call to serve in response to large systemic problems facing our nation.
Service is in the greatest tradition of our country, made more important in these challenging times. It is in this spirit that we look forward to President Obama signing the Serve America Act into law.
Just last September, the Kennedy/Hatch Serve America Act was introduced at the ServiceNation Summit in New York City when then Senator Obama and Senator McCain shared a stage to discuss service in the context of the 2008 presidential campaign. In his Inaugural Address, President Obama issued a new call to define citizenship century and in his Address to the Congress, the only specific piece of legislation the President mentioned was the Serve America Act. In mid-February, both the Senate Health Education Labor & Pensions Committee and the House Education & Labor Committee held hearings on national service reform and subsequently marked up bills which we quickly brought to the floor and voted upon with strong bipartisan support.
Today is an exciting day for those who have worked so hard on this bill but, more importantly, it is a day when the dedication and commitment of Americans in service is affirmed and strengthened. This is especially important for Millennials in service, a generation answering a call to serve in response to large systemic problems facing our nation.
Service is in the greatest tradition of our country, made more important in these challenging times. It is in this spirit that we look forward to President Obama signing the Serve America Act into law.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Pres. Obama's Statement on Senate Passage of Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secrectary
For Immediate Release
March 26, 2009
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT ON THE EDWARD M. KENNEDY SERVE AMERICA ACT
I’m so pleased that the Senate overwhelmingly passed the bipartisan Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act -- legislation that will usher in a new era of service. I want to applaud all those who have worked so hard to see this bill through, and I am eager to sign it into law.
This legislation will help create new opportunities for millions of Americans at all stages of their lives. From improving service learning in schools to creating an army of 250,000 volunteers a year dedicated to addressing our nation's toughest problems. From connecting working Americans to a variety of part-time service opportunities to better utilizing the skills and experience of our retirees and baby boomers. This legislation will help tap the genius of our faith based and community organizations, and it will find the most innovative ideas for addressing our common challenges and helping those ideas grow.
It is fitting that this legislation is named after Ted Kennedy, a person who has never stopped asking what he could do for his country. This legislation is not just a tribute to the service to which he has dedicated his life, it is a call to action for the rest of us. Our work is not finished when I sign this bill into law – it has just begun. While our government can provide every opportunity imaginable for us to serve our communities, it is up to each of us to seize those opportunities. To do our part to lift up our fellow Americans. To realize our own true potential. I call on all Americans to stand up and do what they can to serve their communities, shape our history and enrich both their own lives and the lives of others across this country.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Letter to the Senate: Support the Serve America Act
Tomorrow, the US Senate will begin consideration of S. 277, The Serve America Act of 2009, sponsored by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) & Orin Hatch (R-UT). Like the GIVE Act passed by the House of Representatives last week, the Serve America Act shows a renewed commitment of service and answers President Obama's call for all Americans to give back.
MyImpact strongly supports the Serve America Act and has written an open letter to Senators urging its passage. You may view our letter here
MyImpact strongly supports the Serve America Act and has written an open letter to Senators urging its passage. You may view our letter here
Monday, March 16, 2009
Letter to Congress: Support the GIVE Act
March 16, 2009
Dear Members of Congress,
Responding to systemic problems and crises that face our country, young Americans are giving back in record numbers (nearly a quarter of those over age 16 have volunteered). The Millennial Generation, growing up in the wake of the September 11th attacks, is leading a movement of citizen-centered change and joining together across generational, cultural and socio-economic bounds in a shared sense of ownership and national responsibility. It is in this spirit of renewed civic engagement and service that we urge your support of The Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (“GIVE”) Act.
As Millennials, social entrepreneurs and part of a group of 100 Young Leaders selected to attend the September 2008 Service Nation Summit, where we believe the service movement reached a modern coalescence, we have seen first-hand the impact that service can have on a young person, the community in which they serve and the country as a whole. The GIVE Act acknowledges and rewards the good work currently being done and provides additional opportunities for more young people to become involved.
Our organization, myImpact, responds to what we see as the growing needs of the service movement by comprehensively telling the stories of young people in service through both multimedia and metric tracking. Working closely with our partners in the national service field, our online platform will be the virtual roof under which a person can show how the far-real and far-reaching impact their service is having because, as CIRCLE found in its report Millennials Talk Politics, “Second only to the time they have available to get involved, students report that the most important factor in deciding whether or not to get involved in an activity is the impact they think it will yield.”
The GIVE Act will directly affect our work. It will strengthen AmeriCorps, increasing the number of slots from 75,000 to 250,000, create a new Summer of Service program with stipends that students can use to pay for college and, overall, will triple the number of Americans in service. The GIVE Act is a tremendous opportunity for the 111th Congress to reinvigorate a national call to service. As it is estimated that for every dollar spent towards service initiatives there are four dollars of direct measurable economic returns, this legislation is clearly a bill for the future of America.
Consistent with our organization’s mission to build a country where service is a civic rite of passage for every American, we join with the thousands of voices from advocates of national service in urging the passage of The GIVE Act.
Sincerely,
Chris Golden & Nick Troiano
Co-Founders, myImpact
Dear Members of Congress,
Responding to systemic problems and crises that face our country, young Americans are giving back in record numbers (nearly a quarter of those over age 16 have volunteered). The Millennial Generation, growing up in the wake of the September 11th attacks, is leading a movement of citizen-centered change and joining together across generational, cultural and socio-economic bounds in a shared sense of ownership and national responsibility. It is in this spirit of renewed civic engagement and service that we urge your support of The Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (“GIVE”) Act.
As Millennials, social entrepreneurs and part of a group of 100 Young Leaders selected to attend the September 2008 Service Nation Summit, where we believe the service movement reached a modern coalescence, we have seen first-hand the impact that service can have on a young person, the community in which they serve and the country as a whole. The GIVE Act acknowledges and rewards the good work currently being done and provides additional opportunities for more young people to become involved.
Our organization, myImpact, responds to what we see as the growing needs of the service movement by comprehensively telling the stories of young people in service through both multimedia and metric tracking. Working closely with our partners in the national service field, our online platform will be the virtual roof under which a person can show how the far-real and far-reaching impact their service is having because, as CIRCLE found in its report Millennials Talk Politics, “Second only to the time they have available to get involved, students report that the most important factor in deciding whether or not to get involved in an activity is the impact they think it will yield.”
The GIVE Act will directly affect our work. It will strengthen AmeriCorps, increasing the number of slots from 75,000 to 250,000, create a new Summer of Service program with stipends that students can use to pay for college and, overall, will triple the number of Americans in service. The GIVE Act is a tremendous opportunity for the 111th Congress to reinvigorate a national call to service. As it is estimated that for every dollar spent towards service initiatives there are four dollars of direct measurable economic returns, this legislation is clearly a bill for the future of America.
Consistent with our organization’s mission to build a country where service is a civic rite of passage for every American, we join with the thousands of voices from advocates of national service in urging the passage of The GIVE Act.
Sincerely,
Chris Golden & Nick Troiano
Co-Founders, myImpact
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Saturday, January 3, 2009
What is Impact?
Merriam Webster's Dictionary defines Impact, in both its noun and verb form, as follows:
(n) the force of impression of one thing on another : a significant or major effect
(v) to have a direct effect or impact on
As a noun, impact is more of a concept; something that has already developed an an identity, and something that is the result of another
As a verb, impact is an action; one whose full extent has not yet been realized
The basic concept of myImpact is to bridge both these uses, allowing a user to demonstrate their personal impact and, by doing so, show their contribution to larger action, whether that be as part of an organization, a community, or working towards a given issue.
If a user of our site answers the question on their personal page, "what am I doing," their updates, combined with those of other users on organization geographic and issue pages, show the answer to the question "why am I doing it"
(n) the force of impression of one thing on another : a significant or major effect
(v) to have a direct effect or impact on
As a noun, impact is more of a concept; something that has already developed an an identity, and something that is the result of another
As a verb, impact is an action; one whose full extent has not yet been realized
The basic concept of myImpact is to bridge both these uses, allowing a user to demonstrate their personal impact and, by doing so, show their contribution to larger action, whether that be as part of an organization, a community, or working towards a given issue.
If a user of our site answers the question on their personal page, "what am I doing," their updates, combined with those of other users on organization geographic and issue pages, show the answer to the question "why am I doing it"
Welcome to myImpact
When it is launched, myImpact will be a cutting-edge, innovative social media platform which will allow young people in service to demonstrate their impact on multiple levels.
Over the next few months as we continue to work on the development of the myImpact platform, we invite you to follow us and provide your feedback. We expect to bring ideas to the blog and invite a community of readers to comment with suggestions. This will help us to launch a truly open platform.
First, take a look at our new website, at www.millennialsinservice.com, to learn more about the idea of myImpact. While you're there, sign up to be on our mailing list so you can be the first to know about the myImpact launch!
We'll be posting updates, as well as stories of service and news from the service movement, on this blog; the first step to begin the conversation which will continue within the myImpact community.
Over the next few months as we continue to work on the development of the myImpact platform, we invite you to follow us and provide your feedback. We expect to bring ideas to the blog and invite a community of readers to comment with suggestions. This will help us to launch a truly open platform.
First, take a look at our new website, at www.millennialsinservice.com, to learn more about the idea of myImpact. While you're there, sign up to be on our mailing list so you can be the first to know about the myImpact launch!
We'll be posting updates, as well as stories of service and news from the service movement, on this blog; the first step to begin the conversation which will continue within the myImpact community.
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