Service Songs & Service Quotes

Selections From:

June 27, 2013 Volume 20, No. 26 Circulation: 42,000

Looking for a little inspiration to get you to the weekend?

 You can always listen to songs featured in National Service Briefing at: http://bit.ly/servicesongs  We've also published a list of all the songs and artists at www.YSA.org/quotes-songs
YSA Service Quote of the Week in each National Service Briefing.are compiled in one place: www.YSA.org/quotes-songs

Big Thoughts From YSA YSA & IBM: The Power of Partnership "When it comes to service, if you don't have a youth strategy, you don't have a strategy at all. For 27 years, Youth Service America (YSA) has tapped into the passion, creativity and ingenuity of young people, and provided them with the opportunities and tools to improve their communities through service to others. YSA calls upon children and youth to find their voice, take action, and create real change. As YSA continues its commitment to support the power of youth, we know we cannot do it without the power of partnerships, such as that forged with IBM." Read more about how YSA and IBM have worked together with shared vision and values, to multiply our efforts, create new networks, and help youth change the world. http://ibm.co/110kwEp   Common Core and the Common Good "So how does one teach a young person to think critically, to solve a real problem, to create, and to innovate? After centuries of a culture, and an academic model, that encouraged rugged individualism, how does one teach students to communicate and collaborate as part of an effective team? ... Faced with this challenge, Common Core embraces the real world. Knowledge, in and of itself, is only a piece of a good education. Common Core focuses also on how knowledge can be best applied - to envision, prepare for, and build for the future." Read more of YSA's Vice President of Education, Susan Abravanel's blog about the connection between Common Core and service-learning at: http://bit.ly/13b7OnJ   Service Calendars Conferences & Events   Habitat for Humanity Youth Leadership Conference November 1-3, 2013 - Washington, DC   People to People International's Global Youth Forum November 6-10, 2013 - Washington, DC      10th Annual Youth Service Institute  November 11-13, 2013 - Baltimore, MD    25th Annual National Service-Learning Conference  April 9-12, 2014 - Washington, DC   Seasons of Service   July 2013 Park and Recreation Month - July World Population Day - July 11 Mandela Day - July 18 August 2013 National Night Out - August 6 International Day of Worlds' Indigenous Peoples - August 9 International Youth Day - August 12

Song of the Week Wailin' Jennys - "One Voice"            "This is the sound of one voice One spirit, one voice The sound of one who makes a choice This is the sound of one voice ... This is the sound of all of us Singing with love and the will to trust  Leave the rest behind it will turn to dust This is the sound of all of us ... One people, one voice A song for every one of us..."

A Message from the First Lady

"I want young people here in the U.S. to join me on this journey so that you can engage with - and learn from - the African students I meet and experience the rich culture and history of each of these countries right alongside me. All you have to do is get online:

For updates from the road, follow my new Instagram account @MichelleObama and check out @FLOTUS on Twitter.

Every day on the White House blog, you can check out my travel journal - which will include photos and videos - to learn more about the places I visit and the people I meet.

Use the hashtag #FLOTUSinAfrica to discuss the trip and ask your questions - I'll be answering some of these questions throughout the trip."  

 

News From The Field
Updates from the 2013 Conference on Volunteering & Service Last week, the 2013 Conference on Volunteering & Service convened in Washington, DC. The conference theme was "Service Unites."   Check out this conference wrap-up for highlights, stories, and photos: http://bit.ly/19GFPed    During the Conference, Points of Light and Chase launched the new One America campaign.	Updates from the 21st Century National Service Summit Earlier this week, the Aspen Institute convened the 21st Century National Service Summit in Colorado. The Summit brought together leaders from diverse backgrounds to develop innovative policy and to build momentum around advancing national service. http://bit.ly/110KTKe      As one of the co-conveners of the Summit, TIME Magazine featured service on its cover for the 5th time since 2007.
Introducing One America One America is a nationwide, yearlong campaign Points of Light is leading, with founding support from Chase, to bring together rivals in politics, entertainment and sports with the goal of inspiring millions to unite in service to their communities. Visit the One America site and tell them who you'd like to see unite in service. Rival college basketball teams? Competing news anchors? Superheroes and villians? They'll collect the best pairings and let you vote on which ones will be asked to come together to serve. Also, stay tuned for details on a multi-city One America tour kicking off in July and tools for organizing One America events in your town. www.one-america.org      Several other announcements were made in conjunction with the Conference, including:   Volunteering as a Pathway to Employment   The Corporation for National & Community Service released a new study, "Volunteering as a Pathway to Employment," which found that those who were out of work and got involved with volunteering opportunities increased their likelihood of finding employment by 27 percent. http://1.usa.gov/1ct0YIC    AmeriCorps Grants Announced  CNCS also announced $200 million in AmeriCorps grants for the year. This includes 267 grants to national and local nonprofits to engage more than 45,000 AmeriCorps members. The full grantee list can be found at http://1.usa.gov/11Rgbyt         Doing Good is Good for You: 2013 Health and Volunteering Study A new study released by UnitedHealth Group and the Optum Institute finds that volunteering is linked to better physical, mental and emotional health. http://bit.ly/14dFIVs	In the July 1 issue of TIME Magazine, Rick Stengel (TIME's Editor) declared, "Service is a Silver Bullet" and columnist Joe Klein wrote the feature story "Can Service Save Us?". Read it: http://ti.me/18jIaxT      Download "A 21st Century National Service System: Plan of Action" discussed at the Summit that proposes the infrastructure to engage one million young Americans in service to their country through national service. http://bit.ly/11MAoJ4       Also featured in TIME and at the Summit were the results of a nationally survey of American voters to gather their perspectives about national service. This survey of more than 1,000 Americans found broad support for the idea, potential, and impact of national service. See more at:  http://bit.ly/18jHtVf      The combination of the Summit and the TIME cover story led to several other high-profile media stories about the importance of national service, including:   Politico opinion piece explores how "National service is key to national strength": http://politi.co/151jo2l    Arianna Huffington calls national service "The Ultimate Shovel-Ready Infrastructure Project": http://huff.to/18jIxsq    Michael Gerson writes in The Washington Post about the value of national service to heal our country: http://wapo.st/19GM1mF      MSNBC's Morning Joe discusses how service work benefits recent war veterans: http://nbcnews.to/14dJApB    Forbes explores investing in service opportunities for veterans increase our ROI: http://onforb.es/127FVGG