On April 21, President Obama will sign the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, bipartisan legislation that will dramatically expand national service opportunities for all and will – for the first time in decades – include new service opportunities for those who have finished their midlife careers.  The following statements — from experts on boomers, service, and social-purpose work — comment on this historic legislation.

Statement from John Gomperts, president of Civic Ventures, former chief of staff of the Corporation on National and Community Service (AmeriCorps), and former CEO of Experience Corps:

“Most people think national service is for young people, and it has been.  But now that President Obama has signed this legislation, service will truly be for people of all ages. The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act recognizes that millions of people who have finished their midlife careers are ready to make a big commitment to meeting the challenges we face in education, health care, energy and environment.  That recognition marks the beginning of a new story about how an aging society can use its experience to make life better for us all.  National service has often been a bridge to jobs for young people who want to work in the nonprofit sector.  Very significantly, this law recognizes for the first time that national service can be a vital bridge for those in midlife who want to transition into encore careers combining personal meaning, continued income, and social impact. Encore Fellowships, perhaps the biggest innovation in this law, provide people over 55 with an exciting new way to transition to careers in government and nonprofit service and contribute to the greater good.  At a time when we face so many problems in our nation, this legislation creates new and exciting ways for boomers to be part of the answer.  Wasting their experience is a luxury we can not afford.”

Statement from Lester Strong, CEO of Experience Corps:

“The Serve America Act lays out the welcome mat for those in the second half of life who want to do vital work for the greater good.  This legislation dramatically increases the number of AmeriCorps slots, targets 10 percent of those slots for people over 55, provides scholarship dollars to those who serve 250 hours or more, and allows AmeriCorps members to transfer their education awards to their children and grandchildren.  All of these measures will encourage more people over 55 to serve, but more than that, these measures will encourage organizations to recruit more experienced people, create higher-impact volunteer opportunities for people 55+, form multigenerational service teams, and design new programs that take advantage of experience and talent.  Today 2000 Experience Corps members in 23 cities help 20,000 young students make dramatic gains in reading achievement.  As this legislation shows, legislators have learned to multiply a good thing when they see it.  In the years to come, Experience Corps’s numbers and impact will skyrocket.  And older Americans will be a big part of the solution to this nation’s literacy problem.”

About Civic Ventures (www.civicventures.org)
Civic Ventures is a national think tank on boomers, work and social purpose.

About Experience Corps
Experience Corps engages people over 55 in meeting their communities’ greatest challenges. Today, in 23 cities across the country, 2,000 Experience Corps members tutor and mentor elementary school students struggling to learn to read. Independent research shows that Experience Corps boosts student academic performance, helps schools and youth organizations succeed, and enhances the well-being of the adults in the process.