Kirsch: The Youth Must Lead

Young people can be and are successful leaders, but America does not support them adequately, the founder of a national service organization told a gathering of about 30 at the Institute of Politics on Tuesday.

Vanessa Kirsch, the founder and director of Public Allies, said she had travelled cross-country on behalf of her group. And said that she found that young people are being ignored as potential leaders.

"My sense is in some countries young people are leading the movement, leading the change," Kirsch said. "I think our country is behind in a lot of ways."

"We don't value our young people," Kirsch added. "We don't see them as an opportunity."

But on her trip, Krisch discovered that youth can, in fact lead the way, she said.

She related a story about her trip to a basketball court in one city.

She said the teenagers playing ball there "had so much pride in their city."

And when she asked about the city's problems, she said the teens were able to offer a solution.

"They said, 'well, if they installed lights on the basketball courts at night, we probably wouldn't get in so much trouble,"' Kirsch said.

"It was really simple," she said, "and here the city council is coming up with all these expensive ideas....We need to give our your people responsibility, to expect the best and not the worst."

In fact, Kirsch said that low expectations are a major handicap faced by the so-called Generation X.

One Korean audience member said that in her home country, "students strive to be the best. Here, people strive just to get by."

Kirsch said that that attitude is typical in America and has helped cast Generation X in negative light.

"The biggest challenge is to fight the cynicism," Kirsch said. "They don't hold us to high standards, so we don't live up to high standards."

"But if we put young people in visible positions of leadership, if we did that in a few cities, we could really change an image of a generation," she said.

Kirsch objected to widespread portrayal of today's youth as cynical, saying that she has "seen a lot of positive people out there."

She said young people care about many issues.

"One of the big things is race," Kirsch said. "This generation wants to come together and mend races."

She said today's youth are adept at coming up with innovative solutions to society's problems.

Kirsch also spoke about Public Allies, whichshe founded as a public service group.

She said she originally asked for funding fromthe Fila Corp. in a somewhat unconventionalmanner: by leaving a message on the CFO's voicemail.

But she was ultimately successful, and theprogram has expanded across the country, she said.

Public Allies has served as a model forClinton's national service legislation, Kirschsaid

Kirsch also spoke about Public Allies, whichshe founded as a public service group.

She said she originally asked for funding fromthe Fila Corp. in a somewhat unconventionalmanner: by leaving a message on the CFO's voicemail.

But she was ultimately successful, and theprogram has expanded across the country, she said.

Public Allies has served as a model forClinton's national service legislation, Kirschsaid