Why America Needs Service, Now More Than Ever

COVID-19 and the fallout from the 2020 election have exposed the fragility of American democratic institutions and the importance of rebuilding the nation's civic culture. What role should national service play in repairing American democracy and in helping the nation emerge from the pandemic? Join us for a program featuring remarks by Fareed Zakaria, CNN host and author of Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World, and a panel discussion highlighting local, state, and national service programs. The conversation will examine how service can bring Americans out of their political bubbles and mend some of the inequities exposed by COVID-19.

The program will spotlight the recommendation from the American Academy report, Our Common Purpose: Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century, to create a universal expectation of national service. The Academy is working with report champion Service Year Alliance to implement this recommendation.