Public Service & the American Dream

INTRODUCTION

Public service is the clearest demonstration of the American dream. Public service experiences enhance self-determination, for individuals, as well as for communities. No hand-outs here. No, on the contrary, public service puts hands-up to work on removing barriers to individual and community economic opportunity. It’s hands-up when there is a call to prosper.

In its simplest expression, public service is people from communities helping to fight for that community’s future. It is, therefore, blind to the political color of a state.  It puts the “public” in this Republic that makes it so American for everyone to serve. No-one telling you how to solve your problems. No-one presuming it’s your own fault. No, just ludicrously cost-effective investments in the people who are from a specific community, who want little more than the dignity of solving their own problems.

WHY ?

Make no mistake, public service experiences are pathways to careers, pipelines to apprenticeships, learning the tools of the trade. In a 21st century context, while some of those tools may be made of steel or software, they are also tools sharpened by multiple and varied experiences. Experiences of gathering and analyzing multiple pieces of evidence and opinion, of building consensus between people who share common challenges, of measuring progress toward attainable targets, and of learning to lead by learning to maximize the shared benefits of tapping into the skills and experiences of others.

NOW IS THE TIME

We are in a sweet-spot moment possibly like no other in previous times. Young people are somewhat disaffected by what they see as society’s decision-makers who are corralling wealth and ignoring the young’s concerns about prospects for the future. So as to regain any semblance of control, young people are seeking experiences and jobs with a purpose, to be a part of something that feels important and reifying. So, for them, public service is the perfect incubator of purpose.

As though by coincidence, current employers and employment sectors are crying out for an adaptable, inter-relatable, competent and capable workforce that will contribute to a thriving workplace where workers stay because of a sense of value, meaningful interactions and connections.