Young people need to be challenged and inspired to discover and realize that greatness. All young Americans should have a chance to see themselves and be seen as leaders and resources, not as problems or victims. Former Michigan Governor George Romney, who had the dream of this Summit and worked until his death to make it happen, once said there is no free lunch when it comes to volunteering. It requires organization, time and resources from every sector public, private and nonprofit. Just as we invest in roads and bridges to keep our economy strong, so must we invest in service and volunteering to keep our democracy strong.
Healthy communities depend on informed, active citizens.
The secret heart of America and the secret to our success has always been our belief that we can change things, we can make things better, that working together we can solve our most difficult problems. As we enter a new century and a new era of limited government, that idea and how we put it into practice will be more important than ever. Harris Wofford, a former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, is chief executive officer of the Corporation for National Service.