A Year of Service and Conservation of American Lands

[buckland]

Couple of things:
I have always believed in the Kennedy question. "Ask not what your country can do for you, Ask what you can do for your country." The words were inspiring then and seem to ring extra true these days. Some folks have a calling for military service and some the peace corp as ambassadors of good will from us to other countries. The Americore was also a good idea. As an educator I have worked with many high energy enthusiastic 20 year olds determined to make a difference. There is so much that could be done. I believe that like in so many countries, we Americans should schedule in a year of service as part of our transition to adulthood. Empathy, seeing how the others live or people who think differently then your 'tribe' would go a long way in creating a kinder country.


So here are two articles. One about just that... a year of service. And the other about our country's public lands. Surely these could be worked into the formula of service.

If you have traveled to places like Ireland or Switzerland or Thailand or... they have decided that their land, if it is to maintain its uniqueness for future generations, be protected. That is why those places still look so beautiful after 1000 years of people.

My 2 1/2 cents worth.






another shake on this

The Biden administration has a game-changing approach to nature conservation

 

[Missing Link]

Jim - i am surprised that no one has yet responded to this post, perhaps this is not the best venue for a subject like this. That being said, I, like you, I am a big advocate of the "year of service" idea. Aside from all of the benefits that the country would receive, i believe such a program would add greatly to the maturation process of the individuals involved in it.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Rob I've been away a few days so I haven't had a chance to read the links.
Like Richard I feel we as citizens need to give back something to our country
and not just take and take.

I have done a lot of traveling outside our country and see what's it like where
other people live and how they treat their country.

I'll leave my thoughts there.
I'll get to read the links soon.

Thanks for posting.

Frank

 

[buckland]

I was a teacher for 30 years. Youth really do want to do good if given the right guidance. There will aways be screwball.... but the vast majority have energy to spare and lofty ideal. I say it is a win win thing. People need to feel pride from accomplishment. Nothing better than an experience rather than words to feel proud. Sounds Kumbaya..... but it works. Around here deep in the woods are old CCC camps. I see walls, stairs dams, trails as evidence of their work... still standing. It is actually limitless what they could do.

 

[Missing Link]

Mr. Buck, sorry that I got your name wrong in my earlier post. I too was a teacher and whole-heartedly agree with your statement that ""youth really do want to do good if given the right guidance."

 

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

My secondary students, for the most part, were very interested in the notion of “being a part of something bigger than just themselves.” Our sole high school required, for a time, community volunteer hours as a requirement for graduation. Didn’t last but a few years. Great idea but I doubt mandatory service will ever fly in our society.

 

[rando]

I think this is a great idea, but also doubt it would be possible or wise to make it mandatory.

Maybe there could be some sort of incentive - do a year of service and get some sort of educational benefit (like the GI bill or Americorps) and a leg up on college or trade school admissions. This could help both with Service/Conservation, the cost of higher education, and helping students choose appropriate and rewarding education paths.

On a personal note, I work with undergraduate students pretty regularly, and I am always a bit surprised how little life experience and maturity some of these students have, even in competitive programs at a competitive university. A gap or service year would do these young adults a world of good, and would be a better place for them to mature then on an expensive university campus. The difference in maturity and motivation between 'non-traditional' students who took a few years off after high school and straight from high school kids is pretty striking.

 

[buckland]

I agree and you are right that mandatory never works but incentives do. Credit, cut rate loans, priority enrollment… all these would work. I learn faster and I am way more invested if I have my sleeves rolled upon a real problem …. Academics can be too abstract for many.
Volunteering at homeless shelters, food banks and kitchens, Red Cross, animal shelters, parks department, tutors in schools (amazing the change in attitude a 14 year old has when a 20 year old walks in the room …. Cool is important)
If I were king of the forest ….. oh well … back to writing letters to those who are decision makers to build the idea (again).

 

[ski3pin]

I think this is a great idea, but also doubt it would be possible or wise to make it mandatory.

Maybe there could be some sort of incentive - do a year of service and get some sort of educational benefit (like the GI bill or Americorps) and a leg up on college or trade school admissions. This could help both with Service/Conservation, the cost of higher education, and helping students choose appropriate and rewarding education paths.

On a personal note, I work with undergraduate students pretty regularly, and I am always a bit surprised how little life experience and maturity some of these students have, even in competitive programs at a competitive university. A gap or service year would do these young adults a world of good, and would be a better place for them to mature then on an expensive university campus. The difference in maturity and motivation between 'non-traditional' students who took a few years off after high school and straight from high school kids is pretty striking.

I agree and you are right that mandatory never works but incentives do. Credit, cut rate loans, priority enrollment… all these would work. I learn faster and I am way more invested if I have my sleeves rolled upon a real problem …. Academics can be too abstract for many.
Volunteering at homeless shelters, food banks and kitchens, Red Cross, animal shelters, parks department, tutors in schools (amazing the change in attitude a 14 year old has when a 20 year old walks in the room …. Cool is important)
If I were king of the forest ….. oh well … back to writing letters to those who are decision makers to build the idea (again).

Very good comments toward making this excellent proposal a reality. From our experiences, it is shocking how ill prepared young people are with the basics of life and work, from basic mechanics to cleaning a toilet, to good manners and respect. How refreshing it would be to turn "It's not my job" into "It's all our job".

Buckland, thanks for posting and starting a valuable topic and discussion.

 

[buckland]

I’d love to know who would be the best person to contact to ‘chew their ear’…. I write letters often and most seem to fall into the black hole of congressional aides.
I also wanted to petition a billionaire to let me build a center in each major city…. A safe place for a person/family to get a shower, clean clothes and a haircut. Dignity. I’ve been down a few times and nothing…nothing is better than to feel clean again… and a full belly. Clean and neat gives you dignity…. It would go a long way to give a leg up.
Trouble is nobody with all that money sees it as a good idea so far… I’ll just keep on writing letters!

 

[rando]

Good on you for taking action on your ideas! I am great at spit balling around the (propane) camp fire, but when it actually comes to putting pen to paper I usually fall short.

 

[buckland]

I come from a long line of letter writers! My dad, I have a copy of a letter from Chamberlain… he replied to my dads letter concerning WWII. He was in the RAF then moved to Army Air Corp when he became US citizen. And more incredibly he got a replacement toaster after writing to Mr Caldor (of said depot store). All ya got to lose is some ink.

 

[buckland]

CCC
Looked what just popped up on NPR!

https://www.npr.org/2021/05/11/993976948/reaching-back-to-the-new-deal-biden-proposes-a-civilian-climate-corps

 

[goinoregon]

good topic
i joined the army in 73, to get the GI bill for college $. the vietnam war was done, so little/no risk of going over there. did an office job - personnel records specialist , lived in northern italy, and generally had a great time, toured europe, and grew up. i was a totaly different student when i entered college. it sometimes seemed that i was 5-7 years older than my classmates, when i was only 3-4 yrs older.
i didnt 'like' the army, but figured out how to get through it.