Echoing Green

Over the past few months, loyal readers of Social Citizens may have noticed that we took a bit of a “blogging hiatus.”   I hesitated even pointing this out because for some, you may be stumbling upon Social Citizens for the first time.  Today, our blogging hiatus is over because the discussion is as important and as timely as it’s ever been -- and we can’t afford to sit by and watch it happen without us, and without you. 

Each week, we’ll cull the interwebs for the most relevant articles, videos and commentary about Millennials and social change, and then present them right here in a weekly round-up.  It’s not to say we won’t also provide our own fresh content and perspectives throughout the week, because we will -- as will our provocative and savvy Social Citizen Ambassadors.  But you can view this space as a central repository for all of the great stuff that’s filling our newsfeeds, twitter feeds, and facebook streams.  We’ll do the curating for you, just come by and pay us a visit – and drop a comment every now and then to let us know how we’re doing and what we’re missing.

And now for this week’s round-up…

Understanding a Diverse Generation, Huffington Post

Peter Levine nails it by cautioning against trying to fit the 80+ million members of the Millennial Generation under one definitive label.  Explaining the complexities of this in Understanding a Diverse Generation,  Levine points out,“a record number, almost 12 million, are working on college degrees, yet nearly one third drop out before they even attain a high school diploma. They commit homicide at less than half the rate of their parents' generation, yet more than 780,000 of them are in prison. They face an obesity epidemic, yet they are conscious of nutrition and exercise. They are tech-savvy, but they struggle in a high-tech economy. They are idealists, yet cynics; overachievers, yet slackers; coddled, yet managing on their own.”  We agree with our friend Peter, it’s time to drop the stereotypes and the generational generalities, and instead focus on the important differences that can unite the engaged as well as those who may be on the outskirts.

The Next Generation and Service, Nonprofit Times

Turning to the national service debate, AmeriCorps Alums Executive Director Ben Duda shares a poignant piece on the importance of saving service and what an investment  in programs like AmeriCorps mean to the Next Generation.  As Duda shares, “this generation is remarkably interested in volunteering and service. And the market demand is astounding, with more than 500,000 young Americans applying for only 80,000 available positions in AmeriCorps. That’s a clear indicator that we should invest in the growth of AmeriCorps as outlined in the bipartisan Serve America Act of 2008 – not eliminate it.”  We’re with Duda, between long term joblessness, low earnings and an inability to hone skills and develop new ones, the Millennial Generation is staring into the potential of a decade lost.  Sure AmeriCorps isn’t a cure-all, but a small investment can yield high returns both for members and the communities they serve. For more information on how to mobilize around this issue and help ensure that future generations are able to continue their commitment to service, learn more at Save Service.

Be the Founder of Your Career, Echoing Green Blog

Finally, in a “wish I wrote that piece” moment, we turn to Lara Galinsky of Echoing Green, who shares why Millennials should stop focusing on creating their own organizations and instead use their unique talents and apply them to creating new and innovative careers.  Sure, it’s hip and trendy to be a social entrepreneur these days, and Galinsky sees plenty of very successful ones go through the Echoing Green program, but as she shares, “It is my fear that many of our very talented young have begun to conflate leading with starting something new. Which is a problem, as not everyone is—or should be—a social entrepreneur, and a world full of leaders who strive to be social entrepreneurs creates waste, duplication, and much worse.”  Galinsky suggests it would make more sense to take the altruistic and entrepreneurial energy that Millennials possess and find places within organizations where they can channel those new approaches to problem solving.  For more on this, check out Echoing Green’s Work on Purpose program.

And, that's where we've rounded out this week, but stay tuned and let us know your favorite picks and "wish I wrote this" moments.  We're excited to reengage and look forward to making 2012 the year of the Social Citizen.

From Mumbai to Massachusetts, the 2009 Class of Echoing Green Fellows announced today, represents a diverse group of 17 social entrepreneurs, many of whom are honing their skills as social citizens and leveraging technology for social change. With 1,000 applicants the competition was intense, but the fourteen projects announced today, represent some of the most innovative ideas in areas from civil and human rights to education and public service.  That’s why we’ll be watching with great interest as these leaders carry their work forward.

We join in congratulating the newest members of Echoing Green’s network of social entrepreneurs who work each day to solve social, economic and environmental problems throughout the world. To see a complete list of the 2009 Fellows, and learn more about their projects, visit Echoing Green.

Also, we know there are plenty of Echoing Green Fellows in the making, and we’d like to feature some of these bright faces and ideas in our new series “Social Citizen Sightings.”  Please fill out this quick form if you have a group or individual you'd like to nominate for the new series.