CRAFTSBURY – In a time when America faces political polarization, economic instability, national security threats, as well as social and environmental issues, our citizens are feeling vast pessimism. The nation’s future is uncertain, but that doesn’t mean it is negative. If we start investing in today’s youth, we will foster the future of America.
A meaningful education is the most integral step in students progressing into capable adults. Our youth are detached from their education, as they feel it is irrelevant to them. Standardized test scores provide one snapshot of an educational system failing its youth. According to a 2024 study from the Nation’s Report Card on mathematics, 45% of high school seniors received scores below basic, and 33% were at the basic level. For reading, 32% of students were below basic, and 33% were at the basic level.
Another disturbing trend is rising truancy rates, with many students not attending class. Additionally, in one 2024 National Education Association survey, it was cited that “74 percent of members said students are acting out and misbehaving,” another telling sign that students need stronger educational support.
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A key missing piece of the American education system is after-school programs. While some programming is available in U.S. schools, the quality and overall abundance is lacking, leaving students adrift. According to a 2024 survey from the Afterschool Alliance, only 37% of public schools offering any afterschool programming reported that they can accommodate all students who want to participate because of a lack of funding and staff; further, only 28% of schools reported offering any academic enrichment after-school programs. Rather than enriching their school day with meaningful opportunities, students are left isolated.
While these bleak facts may seem insurmountable, schools, communities and students can work together to create a different world, and I believe our shared American future depends on it. I propose that our government invest in a transformational change, the American Student Community Corps (ASCC). Similar to our investment in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s, this investment in America’s youth and communities would help foster students’ intellectual and social growth, while uplifting and building communities.
ASCC would be a nationwide afterschool program available to all students in grades kindergarten through twelfth, serving as a community-centered educational resource. Students would participate in various activities tailored to their age level. Children in grades kindergarten to fifth would focus on building relationships with their community and peers that help to connect them to their education. Children in grades sixth through twelfth would take part in internships of their chosen focus with support from ASCC, becoming active in their community through place-based work and learning. ASCC is a solution for not only students’ well-being and intellectual expansion, but also a community capacity-building organization. In a time when we are focused on battling the here and now, choose the future, because there will be a time when the youth of today lead the America of tomorrow, and this matters for all of us.
