Youth Service America

Youth Service America (YSA)
Formation1986
TypeYouth organization
Legal statusNon-profit organization
HeadquartersWashington, DC
Location
MembershipYoung people ages 5-25
President & CEO
Steve Culbertson
WebsiteYSA.org

Youth Service America (YSA) is an international nonprofit organization promoting youth service, youth voice and youth volunteerism.

Summary

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The purpose of the YSA is to support and promote youth voice, youth service, and service-learning through advocacy and resource sharing activities.[1][2] As a resource center that partners with many other organizations, YSA seeks to increase the quantity and quality of volunteer opportunities for people that are currently between 5 and 25 years of age. Their aim is to serve both nationally and internationally.[3] It is a resource center and as of 2002 an alliance of over 300 organizations which help young people find opportunities to serve their communities,[4] at times providing grants.[5]

The organization's leader, Steve Culbertson, was appointed to the role of President and CEO in 1996.[6]

Programs

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Programs include:

  • Global youth service day: Working with partners around the world, YSA promotes this one-day annual event to build support for youth volunteerism and youth voice.[7][8]
  • Microfinance grants that use a teaching application process to encourage hundreds of high quality, measurable, service-learning projects by young people around the world;
  • Government relations to encourage an ongoing Federal and State investment in national service programs such as AmeriCorps;[9]
  • Youth Voice initiative to help young people influence adults and contribute to policies and problems that affect them;[10]
  • Communications to spread the word to media about young people as assets and resources.

YSA has also been a long-time partner supporting the National Service Learning Conference, co-sponsored by the National Youth Leadership Council, and operates programs to recognize young people conducting notable service activities internationally.[11]

Criticism

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YSA has been included in past criticisms of the youth service movement, which routinely includes compulsory participation forced by educators and cursory recognition by government agencies and others.[12][3] However, it has been regularly cited as a notable force for youth empowerment for many years.[13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "About Us". ysa.org. Retrieved April 17, 2025.
  2. ^ "The Youth Service America Working Group on Youth Service Policy: Issue Papers" (PDF). Youth Service America. 1989-01-01.
  3. ^ a b Burkhardt, Robert (October 1990). "Youth Service: the Useful and the Good". RSA Journal. 138 (5411). Royal Society of Arts: 769–780. JSTOR 41375333.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  4. ^ "'United Day of Service' to commemorate September 11 and respond to President's call to service". The Early Bird. Arcanum, Ohio. September 8, 2002 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Folmar, Kate (April 14, 1995). "National service program for youth is ready to go". The Miami Herald – via newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Youth Service America Mobilizes Young People". Volunteer Management Report. 20 (9). Wiley: 6. September 2015. doi:10.1002/vmr.30194.
  7. ^ "Disney Encourages Young People to Make a Difference on Global Youth Service Day". thewaltdisneycompany.com. April 27, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
  8. ^ "Report Shows Youth Volunteers Continue to Give as Adults". philanthropynewsdigest.org. Candid. November 21, 2002. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
  9. ^ Pierce, Neal R. "A Landmark for Youth Service". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  10. ^ Benard, Bonnie (1990). "Youth Service: From Youth As Problems to Youth as Resources". digitalcommons.unomaha.edu. School K-12: 12. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
  11. ^ "YSA Names 25 Most Powerful And Influential Young People In The World". Huffington Post. Jun 18, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
  12. ^ Halperin, Samuel (January 1989). "What's Wrong with Youth Service? Occasional Papers". Youth Service America. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
  13. ^ Baghdadi, Mitra (2024). Cultivating Changemakers: The Impact of Leadership Integration in Service-Learning Pedagogy (Ph.D. thesis). Los Angeles: California State University, Los Angeles. ISBN 9798304992756. OCLC 1508875543.
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