Against a backdrop of uniformed soldiers in Colorado Springs a couple weeks ago, Sen. Obama told the audience that national service “will be a central cause of my presidency.” But what exactly does he mean by “service?”

Chastened by critics of his past speeches on the subject, Obama carefully included military service alongside non-military endeavors. With the exception of his call to expand the Foreign Service, however, his plan appears to ignore an essential element of non-military service: working in government.

Volunteering and short-term service stints, such as the Peace Corps, Teach For America, and AmeriCorps (I am a Teach For America/AmeriCorps alumnus), are popular and powerful ways to encourage talented young people to tackle some of our nation’s vexing problems. They are not, however, a substitute for a strong, functional government.

It may be more lucrative to pursue private sector jobs and more charitable to go into non-profit, but we neglect our public sector at our own peril. The major challenges we face in the twenty-first century - from education and law enforcement to emergency response and foreign affairs - will take place in the public sector. We need strong public institutions and public servants to tackle those challenges. We should want - no, we should demand - that our best and brightest are at the helm of those institutions, and we should expect our presidential candidates to use their platforms to encourage our top young people to see government service as a noble calling.

John McCain, to his credit, has encouraged young Americans to work in government as one way to embrace “a cause greater than yourself.” Yet neither McCain nor Obama have endorsed a grassroots initiative that offers the most promising way to attract a new generation into the public sector: the U.S. Public Service Academy.

The Public Service Academy will be the civilian counterpart to our five military academies, offering more than 5,000 students an intensive undergraduate education focused on leadership development and public service. Like their military academy peers, Academy students will receive a free college education in return for a commitment to serve for five years by working in public institutions in education, law enforcement, emergency response, and other essential fields at the local, state, and national levels.

Obama may not speak against a backdrop of gray-suited bureaucrats any time soon, but if service is going to be a central cause of his presidency, then we should expect him to address our government service as well. He could begin by embracing the U.S. Public Service Academy bill - which now has 21 senators and 108 representatives behind it.

I don’t think I can recap the conference better than Erik, a Youth Advisory Council (YAC) from Virginia (second from the right), who sent this out to the rest of the Youth Advisory Council when he got home from DC:

We arrived on Wednesday and moved into Madison Hall. We all went over to a grassy area of campus after move in and played a few ice-breaker games. My favorite one was Giants-Wizards-Elves. After getting to know everyone a little better we were able to get down to business.

We heard from Chris, Shawn, and a bunch of the interns. A former congressman was able to speak with us about what congressmen want to hear from people advocating for causes and how to persuade them or their staff. We had a panel of YACers who were able to help us prepare for our meetings the next day, which was very helpful, especially if you had questions.

The next morning we had an early start and were off to the Capitol. Missouri and Pennsylvania YACers had the earliest meetings and also met success with a very early endorsement. I met with a few congressmen from Virginia, but mostly staffers. With consistant follow-up, I believe that we can gain a few more co-sponsorships. My group was able to get pictures with Rep. Moran and Rep. Bobby Scott, both of whom have already co-sponsored the legislation. These meetings are just the first inroads to a gradual process of gaining their support. All we need to do is follow up by writing, calling, and e-mailing. Later in the day we had an optional discussion session on the Declaration of Independence, which I loved. We found how the Declaration really embodies the message forming a public service academy would send.

The next day we discussed our short, middle, and long-term goals for supporting the academy. Using new media, gaining college president endorsements, and trying to get local politicians on board were all stressed. They reminded us many times that politics is all local and that we just need to build a strong base of local support sometimes to capture a Congressman’s co-sponsorship. We said our goodbyes and traveled on home.

The conference was very important to me because this movement isn’t just something I do online or over the phone anymore - it has a face to me now. Meeting Chris and Shawn really made this cause that much more special and it just reaffirmed my strong feelings toward the importance of public service. Seeing that so many other college students from across the country shared these beliefs, conservative or liberal, was awesome. I just wish it could have been longer.

The blogosphere is lighting up in conversation today about Obama’s main talking points which are:

• Encourage national service to address the great challenges of our time, including combating climate change, extending health care, improving our schools and strengthening America overseas by showing the world the best of our nation.
• Expand AmeriCorps to 250,000 slots and double the size of the Peace Corps.
• Integrate service-learning into our schools and universities to enable students to graduate college with as many as 17 weeks of service experience under their belts.
• Provide new service opportunities for working Americans and retirees.
• Expand service initiatives that engage disadvantaged young people and advance their education.
• Expand the capacity of nonprofits to innovate and expand successful programs across the country.
• Enable more Americans to serve in the armed forces.

It seems to this former teacher that these ideas are excellent, but somewhat broad and a bit vague.  How can we pull it off?  With trained civilian leadership, that is how, and that is what the Academy will provide.  It is time to support the Academy Senator Obama!

When asked why he was willing in helping us, here is what Lt. Collins wrote in an email to me:

“I believe in the necessity and the fulfillment that public service brings to people’s lives. The necessity of professional public servants leading our nation in a variety of different career fields cannot be overstated.  If we are going to be educating tomorrow’s leaders then it is a moral imperative that we see to an education that is equally steeped in virtue and professional ethics as it is a rigorous and well-rounded curriculum.  Personally, I would be satisfied knowing that I took an active role in modeling an institution that would mold civil leaders into educated, mentally tough, and ethical individuals.”

As we approach July 4, the celebration of our country’s independence, I hope you will keep Lt. Collins and his platoon in your thoughts and prayers.

This week, the Pentagon nominated Lt. Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody to be the first woman in U.S. history to be a four-star Army general. While this is a huge step for the women’s movement, we still have a lengthy climb in front of us: women makeup only five percent of military officers and only 15 percent of all military academy students.

Looking from a more academic perspective, women comprise 57 percent of today’s college and university enrollment. One cannot help but see the irony in these numbers. This nation has young, intelligent women enrolling in elite universities in large quantities, but only 15 percent of the student bodies at our renowned military academies are women.

Women are not averse to service. To the contrary, women compromise 71% of the extremely competitive Teach for America, a national teacher corps of recent college graduates who commit to teaching under-resourced schools.

This is not just a women’s issue it is a serious issue for our whole country. We need all of our most talented individuals, men and women, serving their country. These potential public servants will go on to work in the private sector rather than furthering the interest of the public sector.

Creating the U.S. Public Service Academy would help to bridge this gap. Creating a four-year undergraduate institution would show our nation’s dedication to draw all young people into public service. The government made a proactive step this week in nominating Lt. Gen. Dunwoody, now Congress has to truly show its dedication to the women’s movement and the service moment by creating the U.S. Public Service Academy.

Most notably however, was the shout out he gave to Senators John McCain and Barack Obama “to strike a legislative deal to start repairing government.”  Well, we can help them with that: the best legislative deal going is S. 960, the bill to create the US Public Service Academy, the first national public college devoted to developing civilian leaders. The Public Service Academy will be a federally-subsidized four-year college modeled on the military service academies. More than 5,000 students will get an intensive undergraduate education focused on service and leadership development. Following graduation, they will be required to serve for five years in education, health care, emergency management, or other public service fields at the local, state, and national levels.

“Young people of this generation haven’t had the same call to service as previous generations,” said Rice, who is currently an Oklahoma State Senator from District 46. “I’m waiting for a president to ask us what we can do for our country, but in the meantime I’m going to be asking that question. That’s why I’m behind this cause. That’s why I’m the first public official in Oklahoma to endorse it. We need to engage more of our best and brightest young people in public service.”

The Public Service Academy Act was introduced in March 2007 by Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) in the Senate and Rep. James Moran (D-VA) and Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT) in the House of Representatives. The bill currently has 19 Senate co-sponsors and 96 House co-sponsors. It also has earned the endorsement of numerous organizations, including City Year, the National Peace Corps Association, and the U.S. Student Association, as well as prominent individuals such as Madeleine Albright, Lee Hamilton, and three former superintendents of West Point.

Rice said he appreciates the bipartisan nature of the Academy idea and knows that service is something that Americans from both parties support.

“This is the sort of positive initiative that can establish a national citizen-driven infrastructure that will provide young people opportunities, allow us to address many different societal needs, and restore people’s faith that government actually can help people,” Rice said.

Rice has worked extensively and effectively with Republicans and Democrats in both the Oklahoma House and the evenly divided Oklahoma Senate. In the 2008 session, Rice passed bills with House Republican co-authors Rep. Kris Steele, R-Shawnee, and Rep. David Derby, R-Owasso. When elected to the U.S. Senate, Rice will bring the same bipartisan approach to his work and this bill.

“Fortunately, service isn’t an issue that gets bogged down in partisanship,” Rice said. “Service is something we engage in to strengthen our communities and to create a better America with more opportunities for all of our citizens.”

The Public Service Academy Act will establish America’s first national public college devoted to developing civilian leaders. The Public Service Academy would be a federally-subsidized four-year college modeled on the military service academies. More than 5,000 students would get an intensive undergraduate education focused on service and leadership development. Following graduation, they would be required to serve for five years in education, health care, emergency management, or other public service fields at the local, state, and national levels.

The Academy is the brainchild of two Teach for America/AmeriCorps alumni, Chris Myers Asch and Shawn Raymond. They have spearheaded a grassroots movement in support of the idea.

“The Academy will transform the way young Americans perceive, prepare for, and pursue public service,” said Asch. “It will reinvigorate our sense of public service and revitalize our public sector.”

Professor of Education, Howard Gardner has been holding seminars asking students to reflect on their Harvard experience and what would be the best way to put it to work in the real world. Harvard is well-known for being a fast-track to lucrative finance and consulting jobs on Wall Street. For some college graduates with loan repayment looming, it is the path many have taken. Professor Gardner is asking his students to consider a holistic approach to making these career decisions and encouraging them to give back in the form of a public service or non-profit sector job. Putting the prestigious and privileged Harvard education to work in service for the country and world seems like a much better investment. And isn’t it incumbent upon them to do so, these best and brightest?

Great American institutions of higher learning like Harvard are turning out intellectually curious, highly prepared and motivated graduates, but even their own John F. Kennedy School of Government focuses on graduate work and does not obligate the grads to participate in public sector work as a condition of their enrollment in the programs. Remember, the Academy would require graduates from the Bachelor’s program work for five years in a public sector job for the privilege of attending college at no cost to them.

Thanks to the YACers and Regional Coordinators flooding the comment board with mentions of the Academy!

The three of us interns agree that this is a great idea. It will serve as an alternative to people who may not be interested in serving in the military. Young people want and can serve our country in a variety of ways. Not all of us posses the skills or interest to join the military, the Academy will allow us to still serve our country. Would you be for this type of alternative service to the country?

Why does blogger Sherman Dorn support the Academy?

As I wrote above, I can’t argue that TFA recruits are going to be as bad as a rotating door of subs, and TFA might help change the discussion about public service and the public sphere. That possibility is also why I support the U.S. Public Service Academy proposal. But there’s a catch: that potential use of public service programs does not obviate the programs’ responsibilities to the clients/patrons of the target system, which in the case of TFA are the students.

The Public Service Blog mentions the Academy as an example of how to engage young people in the process of solving the impending public sector employment crisis:

I see three major strategies:

1. You offer a heck of a lot of incentive. This seems to be something that’s been the go-to solution for government agencies themselves. As a top-level strategy, it tries to create mass appeal for government jobs that will reach all demographics. Offering excellent benefits and retirement plans has garnered some success for this plan.

2. You get young people interested. This seems to be the solution that organizations such as the US Public Service Academy are taking.

3. You get current workers interested in hanging around. You create exciting government jobs that have a real pull, and you take long-time federal employees who are becoming frustrated with their current jobs, and create new, exciting ones.

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