Volunteer rates hit record numbers

N0, not for the military- For VISTA and the Peace Corps. Isn't that wonderful?

From USA Today

• Applications to Teach for America, which recruits graduates for underserved urban and rural areas, hit almost 19,000 this year, nearly triple the number in 2000.

• This year, the Peace Corps took 7,810 volunteers — the largest number in 30 years — from more than 11,500 applicants in 2005, up more than 20% over the year 2000.

• AmeriCorps*VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America), which pairs recruits with non-profit organizations, has had a 50% jump in applicants since 2004.

[...] Today's young people prefer to channel their activism into helping others directly rather than through politics, says Nancy Crocker, director of Academic Community Engagement Services at Arizona State University. Many are more attuned to volunteer services because colleges and high schools increasingly offer courses and credits for "service-learning."

Elizabeth Jones, 26, of Portland, Ore., gave up her career as a corporate banker and will leave for Panama with the Peace Corps in August. "There's a lot of need in this world, and it wasn't doing anything in my heart to help make the rich people be richer," she says.

Interest in service work, which in some cases offers modest salaries, educational stipends or student loan deferments, is striking when the National Association of Colleges & Employers notes job prospects for seniors are up 14.5% over 2005.

Many young people, wary of corporate downsizing, want skill development, not just jobs, so they can remain competitive in the workforce, says Sharon Melville, a counselor with Career Development Services in Rochester, N.Y. Potential employers view veterans of service programs as resourceful and self-motivated, she says. A volunteer's experience overseas and commitment to service are also attractive to employers, she says.

It's funny that I had suggested to my son who will graduate with a degree in anthropology next year that he join the Peace Corps or something like that for a few years and learn some useful job skills in his field.