OJJDP News at a Glance: National Youth Service Day: Mobilizing the Next Generation of Volunteers

May/June 2003
Volume II Number 3

National Youth Service Day: Mobilizing the Next Generation of Volunteers

On April 11, 2003, staff from the U.S. Department of Justiceï¿½s (DOJï¿½s) Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and Community Relations Service joined an enthusiastic group of students, teachers, government officials, and other involved citizens at the Benjamin Orr Elementary School in Washington, DC, to commemorate the 15th annual National Youth Service Day (NYSD). Orr School is OJPï¿½s adopted school in DOJï¿½s Partners in Education Program, which promotes volunteerism by the Departmentï¿½s employees. Sponsored by Youth Service America and supported by the White House Office of USA Freedom Corps, NYSD is the largest service event in the world. For the past 14 years, NYSD has helped millions of young Americans identify and address the needs of their communities through volunteer activities.

Former U.S. Attorney General Richard Thornburgh and J. Robert Flores, Administrator of OJJDP. © 2003 Chip Feise Location Photography and Danspix.

Former U.S. Attorney General Richard Thornburgh and J. Robert Flores, Administrator of OJJDP, were two of the speakers who participated in the National Youth Service Day ceremonies at Orr Elementary School.

During the ceremony, former U.S. Attorney General Richard Thornburgh, who started the Partners in Education Program during his tenure as Attorney General, shared with the audience memories of his favorite teacher, his love of history, and his commitment as a public servant to the promotion of volunteerism. District Mayor Anthony A. Williams presented Youth Mayor Michael Clark with an official proclamation heralding April 11, 2003, as Youth Service Day in the District. J. Robert Flores, Administrator of OJJDP, and Robbie Callaway, Senior Vice-President of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, jointly announced a new Boys & Girls Club Program at Orr Elementary. The club is expected to open in July 2003. ï¿½Orr School students will now have a safe neighborhood club where they and their families can come after school and on weekends,ï¿½ said Flores. Mr. Callaway concurred, calling the club ï¿½a community center of positive activities for all.ï¿½

After the opening ceremony, Orr Elementary students participated in their own service learning projects, ranging from writing letters to soldiers overseas to building care packages for the homeless. Other projects focused on being a good citizen, promoting child safety, and creating art projects for sick children. Volunteers from the White House Office of Presidential Correspondence also joined OJP staff in promoting literacy by reading to the students some of First Lady Laura Bush's favorite children's books. Communities in Schools hosted a barbeque lunch that was enjoyed by all the students, teachers, and volunteers.

More information about National Youth Service Day is available on the OJJDP Web site at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office for Victims of Crime.

News @ a Glance is OJJDPï¿½s bimonthly newsletter, bringing you up-to-date notices of agency activities, recent publications, funding opportunities, and upcoming events—with an emphasis on providing quick access to online sources for publications and other resources. Let us know what types of features would be most useful to you (e-mail [email protected]).

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NCJ 199996