by Christopher Gergen and Stephen Martin, News Observer
As we emerge from a tough recession, there is a tremendous opportunity to come together to address some of our hardest challenges and re-invigorate our sense of civic responsibility and possibility. Yet as a nation we seem held back by our lack of civic connection and social trust. The National Conference on Citizenship, for example, recently released its annual Òcivic health indicatorsÓ (volunteer work, contact with friends and family, confidence in institutions) and found a Òbroad declineÓ in 16 of 20 areas. A 2015 North Carolina Civic Health Index shows similar trends. The Census and the Bureau of Labor Statistics also found that volunteering in 2012 (the most recent data available) was at the lowest percentage (25.4 percent) since the government started counting in 2001. In the face of this societal malaise, young people seem ready to change direction. A 2010 Pew survey found that 57 percent of millennials report having volunteered in the preceding six months. Thirty percent of millennials identify meaningful work as the single most important factor in a successful career, while 71 percent identify meaningful work as one of the top three most important factors. In recent years, there have been 582,000 applications for only 80,000 annual AmeriCorps service positions and 150,000 applicants for the 4,000 annual Peace Corps slots. Similar acceptance rates are seen for organizations such as Teach for America. Harnessing talent To harness this under-leveraged young talent and energy and provide a civic rallying cry for us all, a bi-partisan group of leaders has formed to propose a 21st Century National Service System. Co-chaired by retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal and the former head of George W. BushÕs Domestic Policy Council, John Bridgeland, the Aspen InstituteÕs Franklin Project envisions Òat least one million young adults annually from all socioeconomic backgrounds (engaging) in a demanding year of full-time national service as a civic rite of passage to unleash the energy and idealism of each generation to address our nationÕs challenges.Ó ~1@BODYURL[id=114jbcurl1269]@