Summer of Service Legislation
The Edward M.
Kennedy Serve America
Act
On Tuesday April 21, 2009 President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Act into law. Video of the signing ceremony can be viewed here. Congress moved swiftly to pass the bill on March 31, 2009 after Barack and Michelle Obama both expressed their support for the legislation and desire to see it passed. Detailed information and the full text of the legislation can be found here.
The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act reauthorizes and strengthens the programs of the Corporation for National and Community Service and provides funding for new innovative programs, including Summer of Service (SOS).
Innovations in Civic Participation (ICP) worked with legislative staff of Senator Dodd and Representative DeLauro to draft the Summer of Service Act of 2007, and continued to help advance support, which led to SOS being included in the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. The Summer of Service Act stemmed from ICP's report, Summer of Service: A New American Rite of Passage?, which details the need to engage young people in constructive opportunities during the summer months, particularly in the transition from middle to high school. The report also highlights existing initiatives of the type this legislation supports.
The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act puts AmeriCorps on the path to grow from its current level of 75,000 to 250,000 members per year. It prioritizes programs that address educational, health, and environmental needs and creates service opportunities for veterans. The expansion of AmeriCorps includes a Clean Energy Corps, a program that was supported by a broad coalition of energy conservation, youth service, and environmental justice organizations, including ICP. The legislation also increases the amount of educational awards received by AmeriCorps members after their term of service and links future award amounts to Pell Grants.
The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act includes $10 million in funds for SOS programs and $10 million for $500 educational award grants for students who complete 100 hours of service through SOS programs. ICP promotes SOS as a “rite of passage” from middle to high school. This legislation makes SOS funding available for programs that serve students in both middle and high school, but prioritizes those programs that enroll students in grades six through nine.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
On March 7, 2009, the US Department of Education (USDE) released guidance for disbursing $10 billion in new funding for Title I that was included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). A strategic use of these funds within the USDE’s guidance includes opportunities to support Summer of Service (SOS) programs.
Title I is a set of programs that distribute funds to schools serving a high percentage of low-income students. Funding SOS programs would be a strategic use of ARRA Title I funds that meets the USDE guidance and fulfills some of its goals. According to the USDE statement, “These funds create an unprecedented opportunity for educators to implement innovative strategies in Title I schools that improve education for at-risk students and close the achievement gaps while also stimulating the economy.” The statement can be read at the USDE website here.
SOS programs are an innovative approach to improving education for at-risk middle school youth that provide opportunities for them to enter their teenage years with a positive experience that reinforces community connections, enlivens their education, and strengthens personal and civic values. These programs help close the achievement gaps by engaging students in service-learning that increases their potential for access and success in college and beyond. They stimulate the economy by creating jobs for educators and summer program staff while also responding to genuine community needs.
SOS programs also fit well into one of the potential uses for ARRA funds listed in the USDE guidance: “Establishing or expanding fiscally sustainable extended learning opportunities for Title I-eligible students in targeted assistance programs, including activities provided before school, after school, during the summer, or over an extended school year.”
Establishing and expanding SOS programs would be a strategic use of ARRA funds that meets Title I’s goal of improving the academic achievement of disadvantaged youth. SOS programs that partner with or are provided through Title I schools could greatly expand their reach and impact with the help of increased Title I funds through the ARRA.
The USDE plans to award $5 billion of the ARRA Title I funds by the end of March 2009. The USDE’s expediency in awarding these funds could prove incredibly beneficial to SOS programs in Summer 2009.