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

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

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

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

References

  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.
  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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