Public Allies and Public Allies Alumnus were reconized by President Obama during signing of service

For Immediate Release   
April 21, 2009                                                                                                                     

Contact: Nell Daniel, VP of Marketing and Development
Cell: 646-342-3218; Email: Nelld@publicallies.org

President Signs National Service Bill

Public Allies and Public Allies Alumnus Recognized at Ceremony

On April 21st, President Barack Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, a landmark piece of legislation that will dramatically expand national service opportunities at a time of great need in our country. Public Allies, one of the original models for national service, and Charles Adams, a Public Allies alumnus, were also recognized by the President at the ceremony.

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act will grow AmeriCorps from 75,000 members a year to 250,000 members a year, increase the education award that members receive at the end of their service, create a social investment fund to support the most innovative solutions to social problems, and more. The bill received strong bi-partisan support in both houses, which is a testament to the proven impact of national service and the widespread recognition that service is a solution to some of our country’s toughest challenges.

Public Allies’ mission is to advance new leadership to strengthen communities, nonprofits and civic participation. Public Allies’ signature AmeriCorps program recruits young adults from diverse backgrounds who have a passion to make a difference and provides them with full-time, paid apprenticeships with nonprofits in their communities and intensive leadership training. Allies tutor children, help ex-felons enter the workplace, lead environmental clean up activities, promote public health, and more.

Public Allies was funded in 1992 by President George H.W. Bush’s Commission on National and Community Service as a demonstration project for national service, was identified by President Bill Clinton as a model for AmeriCorps, and tripled in size and was a training and technical assistance provider to other national service programs during President George W. Bush’s terms. Under the Serve America Act, Public Allies plans to more than double again in the coming years.

First Lady Michelle Obama founded Public Allies Chicago in 1993 and served on Public Allies’ national board of directors from 1997 to 2001. She was one of the architects of the program and a champion of Public Allies and national service for many years. President Obama introduced her at the signing ceremony saying: “Now, it just so happens that one of those people who have been touched by AmeriCorps was FLOTUS, otherwise known as First Lady of the United States -- Michelle Obama, who ran an AmeriCorps-sponsored program, Public Allies, in Chicago.”

More than 80% of 2,468 Ally graduates have continued careers in community and public service, and they volunteer at more than twice the rate of their age cohort. One of those graduates, Charles Adams, graduated from Public Allies in 1999 and pursued a career that led to his selection to lead the nationally recognized SEED School in Washington DC, where the President signed the bill. President Obama said: “I want to thank the students and the faculty of the SEED School -- our hosts for today -- and their headmaster, Charles Adams…a shining example of how AmeriCorps alums go on to do great things.  This school is a true success story -- a place where for four of the last five years, every graduate from the SEED School was admitted to college -- every graduate.“

Public Allies CEO Paul Schmitz added: “This is a great day for every American who wants to step up and make a difference. The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act will usher in a new era of service at a time when our communities, our nonprofits, and our democracy need that help.”

Watch the President’s Speech on the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act