A Case for National Service: Uniting Young Adults Through Community Impact
I like the idea of a national non-military service requirement for young adults.
At age 18, most of us had no idea how our professional lives would unfold.
We were lucky to find a college major that would stick for more than a year.
I know a service requirement is controversial.
Maybe I shouldn’t bring it up when our political climate is so fraught. We have enough to argue about.
On the other hand, such a mandate could be a unifying force that encourages Americans to serve one another.
I went down this rabbit hole after reading about the newly formed Youth Mental Health Corps (YMHC).
YMHC members aged 18-24 will be deployed across 11 states by the end of 2025.
After receiving specialized training, they will be placed in community settings to support the mental health of local youth.
The Minnesota YMHC, for example, has a school-based pathway in which members work with students in grades 6-12 to improve attendance and lower dropout rates.
In preparation for this work, YMHC will train members how to use Youth Mental Health First Aid, motivational interviewing, and other methods for providing effective support to youth.
If successful, YMHC may even help expand our future mental health workforce by introducing individuals early to this meaningful work.
AmeriCorps, Schultz Family Foundation, Pinterest, and America Forward collaborated to launch this initiative.
I’m excited to see a scalable program that empowers passionate young adults to serve as role models for youth who so desperately need them. I do hope it works.
Photo Credit: Jack Bell Photography
