In support of public service — our colleges can hold the key

American colleges and universities have long been a lively source of discussion of what’s necessary and acceptable in our education system. Lately those debates have become increasingly passionate, even over seemingly small details of language or tone.

But lost in much of this debate has been the enduring themes and lessons that enrich and advance our common values, which have stood the test of time. These ideals have been protected and defended by our colleges and universities for hundreds of years

For example, is there a richer example of lasting values than Lincoln’s Gettysburg address?

His reminder that we are a nation with a “government of the people, by the people, for the people,” is an enduring example of the fundamental values that have defined us through the years and serves as the underpinning of the American government.

Our founding fathers understood that in the construction of a new nation, these values were crucial, and not to be taken for granted. Washington, Hamilton and Jefferson were not inclined to flimsy mottos — they took action to ensure public service was promoted throughout the young republic.

George Washington, in his first address to Congress, proposed the creation of a national university that would help to build up the young republic and champion its ideals of democracy and citizenship. Thomas Jefferson established the United States Military Academy at West Point, so that at least the Army had a pool of skilled young graduates prepared and willing to dedicate years of service to our nation.

But the idea stalled after that. No service academy was ever established for the government’s civilian workforce. And our universities are not promoting public service sufficiently to today’s young people.

There is one program operating now that has potential, one we were both involved in starting: the Next Generation Service Corps. It was inspired by a proposal Tom made during campus speaking tours and first piloted by Michael at Arizona State University. It offers undergraduate students training in collaboration and leadership. It encourages students to explore the different ways they can put their talents and education to work for public service, advancing American ideals both at home and overseas — not just in government, but in business or professional careers as well.

The response to this program shows the level of demand that exists for this kind of public service education, with hundreds of students participating at ASU in just a few years. The nonprofit Volcker Alliance has been expanding the program nationally, fostering a network of service-minded students eager to work for a better world. Students majoring in economics are learning about how governments work and how they can be effective partners both from and with the private sector. Students who are passionate about racial justice are learning first-hand from county officials just what it takes to run a free and fair election.

Many of these students told instructors that they’d never heard the concept of “public service” before. They knew they wanted to make a difference — but they needed help understanding how to do it.

“It gave me a mission; it gave me a purpose,” one 2022 graduate from the program, Brianna Stinsman, told us. She went on to attend Johns Hopkins University for her masters in international relations and has an internship with the US Agency for International Development (USAID). “For my family, to be a public servant, you were a cop, you were a firefighter, or you joined the military. [This program has taught me] you don’t have to be an incident responder to be a public servant. We’re expanding the breadth of what it means to be a public servant.”

We’re excited to see what the Next Generation Service Corps can become, but alone it’s not enough. Our nation’s colleges and universities need to do more to explicitly train today’s young people for public service.

We were both raised in the shadow of a great war, one that tested anew the commitment of this precious nation to these fundamental values. It is time once again to overcome destructive feuds, and work together in defense of democracy and participatory government. It will not be easy. It never has been. But no nation in history has been better prepared to meet this unending challenge.

Tom Brokaw is a journalist and author and was the anchor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004.

Michael Crow is the president of Arizona State University.