we were made in americorps. we are part of a movement, and i'm thrilled to have them share their stories today. >> growing up, i was a bit of a nerdy kid. i was often bullied and picked on and in school. but despite that, i always had that inner sense of confidence that whatever i was going to do in life was going to be important. it was going to have an impact. i had that because of my parents, family, folks in the community who instilled that vision of the community into me. for me, i thought that would be science. i always wanted to be a doctor. i got my first microscope when i was 8 years old. thought i was going to be in an emergency room, loved the show e.r. thought i was going to find a cure for cancer. that would be my impact for the world. i was a bio major in college. in someone semester, i signed up for service learning course. i didn't know what service learning was. it sounded different and engaging, and i definitely didn't know that the service and the service learning course would assign me to a g

i found an americorps program.rolina, and landed in new hampshire and i raise my rating to take the americorps pledge i have no idea what to suspicion that program was going to do to me. it was going to ignite a lifelong thirst to empower and public interest in individuals and communities, but it did. as a result i stand before you today back in the lab in the social innovation lab excited and honored to be part of a network of americorps alums, national service support and working with organizations like nco seek or export how can we leverage halted and the national circumstance and coercion to address the challenge we face as a committee, a country in the nation. i'm jeffrey richardson, office of mayors office in d.c. where do so by the national service opportunities each year and a district are getting things done. thanks. [applause] >> so good morning. i was everybody feeling this morning? great. my name is kelly tsai, i'm based in brooklyn, new york, i like my colleagues here, mary ann jaffe i was made in amer

in an americorps program.landed in new hampshire and i raised my right hand and took the americorps pledge, i had no idea what the participation in that program would do to me. that it would ignite this lifelong service to transform individuals and communities. but it did. i stand before you today back in the lab, the social innovation lab, excited and honored to be part of a network of americorps alums, national service supporters, organizations like how weho are exploring can address the challenges we face as a community and a country. i am jeffrey richards. we are facilitating 500 national service opportunities each year. thank you. [applause] >> so, good morning. how is everybody feeling this morning? great. my name is kelly. like my colleagues here, i was made in americorps. when i graduated from college, i graduated with a major in urban planning and comparative learning, which prepares you for life as a spoken word poetry i was a three-time ring break alum, which i think holds a record for you i wanted

is why i wanted to do it this way, and americorp happened to be the way i chose to meet that need. i think everyone has the same needs, whether it's a desire for community, whether it's the desire to feel like they're making an impact in the world, a desire to make something better, we just have to position service, again, as a way to meet those needs. not just the kind of issue needs, but the very personal, human desires that we all have for our lives, to see ourselves fulfill certain goals and kind of, you know, don't want to get all oprah here, to feel loved and to connect with one another. [laughter] but those are real. those are real, and i think when we can tap into those and touch that and tell the story of service in relation to values that we all share, i think that'll go a long way at kind of overcoming some of the more tangible differences between us. >> i just, i'm reminded when i heard that question of something that my friend chris marvin, who many of you may know, iraq army veteran who founded a campaign called got your six which, again, some of you may know, militar

it's, again, the americorps program, but it's an opportunity to help get messages out back in indian country and really give us the perspective from the youth of how to better prepare not only to respond to disasters, but also make sure we're addressing the communities we serve across the country. the last part about the regional, i'm not sure, but if you think it's a good idea, we'll get the other nine regions to do it. >> okay. thank you. >> i would very much ask you to join me to thank this panel for their commitment not only to indian country, but to our planet and to working hard and making climate change and resilience and adaptation a priority. we know that this is important to indian country, and when you see the regard that each of these individuals hold that issue and commit to it professionally, we will all benefit from it. so join me in thanking them for their effort. [applause] >> thank you. [applause] [inaudible conversations] >> all right. all right. good afternoon, tribal leaders. welcome to the panel on youth and education. today we have joining us secretary jewell a

so he joined americorps as a vista volunteer. he moved to a small mining community of emmons, west virginia. that was in 1964. this man of means, this man of stature, this man of notoriety went to this small little town in west virginia. it wasn't easy for jay rockefeller to suddenly find himself in a setting that he had never imagined. the first six months he was there, he could hardly get anyone to talk to him. he is kind of an intimidating man. his name is rockefeller, and he is 6'7". but eventually, his goodness came through. the people in emmons, west virginia, started talking to him, and they really liked the man. but from 1964 when he moved there, he knew that he wanted to identify with poor people, and that's what he's done since 1964. in 1966, he was elected to the west virginia house of delegates assembly. in 1968, he was chosen to serve as secretary of state for the state of west virginia. he then became president of a university in west virginia, westland college. served there for three years. he then was twice electe

the americorps program and an opportunity to get preparedness messages get out get the perspective ofr to prepare and to make sure we are addressing the communities we serve across the country. the last part about the regional, we will get the other nine regions to do it. me toould ask you to join think this panel for their commitment not only to indian country but to our planet and working hard at making climate change and resilience and adaptation a priority. we know that this is important to indian country. and when you see the regard that each of these individuals hold that issue and commit to it professionally, we will all benefit from it. join me in thanking them for their effort. [applause] >> thank you. >> good afternoon and welcome to the youth and education. we have secretary jewell again. have the director here is well. we have secretary promised -- thomas perez and the director, archuleta. heard money from me so i will not say much. i wanted to reflect the -- personally. as my kids are growing up and they grew up in the outdoors in the pacific northwest, we used to sail an

grants for evidence-based progress, sponsored research on college keeshan, increasing the number of americorps service opportunities to help more low-income students access college. our challenge going forward is to make sure your outstanding commitment means something worth matters most in the lives of young people. that is what jeff nelson, the former teacher who is here today. where is jeff? areas. i am going to brag on jeff. seven years ago he cofounded a nonprofit called one goal and had one goal. so it is aptly named. to help more low performing low-income high school students not only get into college but make sure they've got the continued support to succeed once they get to college. one of the students as a young man from chicago named caleb navarra. if caleb here? couldn't make? next time you got to bring in. [laughter] people here that i was talking about him. i bet he will. [laughter] [cheers and applause] so by that time caleb was a sophomore, he wasn't doing all that well in school. wasn't motivated to try harder, starting to give up on himself. the folks at one goal saw a spark

so he joined americorps as a vista volunteer. he moved to a small mining community of emmons, west virginia. that was in 1964. this man of means, this man of stature, this man of notoriety went to this small little town in west virginia. it wasn't easy for jay rockefeller to suddenly find himself in a setting that he had never imagined. the first six months he was there, he could hardly get anyone to talk to him. he is kind of an intimidating man. his name is rockefeller, and he is 6'7". but eventually, his goodness came through. the people in emmons, west virginia, started talking to him, and they really liked the man. but from 1964 when he moved there, he knew that he wanted to identify with poor people, and that's what he's done since 1964. in 1966, he was elected to the west virginia house of delegates assembly. in 1968, he was chosen to serve as secretary of state for the state of west virginia. he then became president of a university in west virginia, westland college. served there for three years. he then was twice electe

program, americorps that is an opportunity to get preparedness messages out in indian country, and getve from the youth on how to better prepare to respond to disasters, and to make sure we are addressing the communities we serve. about the regional, i'm not sure. if you think it is a good idea we will get the other nine regions to do it. i would ask you to join me to think the panel for their commitment to indian country, working hard, to making climate change, resilience, and adaptation of priority. this is important to indian country. when you see that each of these individuals hold this in regard and commit professionally, we will all benefit. join me in thanking them for their effort. [applause] > >> good afternoon tribal leaders. welcome to the panel on youth and education. jewell, andetary administrator secretary -- we have director sicilian manaus. we have secretary thomas perez. and director catherine --. is my microphone on? is it working? you have heard plenty for me, i won't say much. as my kids were going up, and they grew up in the out doors of the pacific northwest, we w

i didn't even know what americorps was. i had no idea. and i think i'm probably average. but since i've gotten out, i've gotten the opportunity to see what it is and what the amazing stuff that's done. and so we have to have so much more of it. this room shouldn't be full of 150 people. it ought to be 50,000 hearing this at the same time. and i believe it's possible if we align to the big idea. thank you so much for all you've done, but you know, a thank you is really just trying to get you to do more. thank you so much for all you are and all you've done. god bless. >>> i feel a little bit like a deejay. but one more time, will you give it up for stan mcchrystal, please? every time i think i might be doing something, might be making some contribution, i think of people like stan mcchrystal and it gets me out of bed a little faster, puts my pants on a little faster, gets me out of the door a little faster. a couple of personal notes, is ted mcconnell here? where is ted mcconnell? would you stand up, please, ted? today is ted's birthday. ted is the executive director of th