Youth Service America, or YSA, is a resource center that partners with thousands of organizations committed to increasing the quality and quantity of volunteer opportunities for young people, ages 5-25, to serve locally, nationally, and globally." YSA has a reputation for supporting and promoting youth voice, youth service, and service-learning through advocacy and resource sharing. Steve Culbertson is the President & CEO.
Founded in 1986, Youth Service America’s mission is to expand the impact of the youth service movement with communities, schools, corporations, and governments. With programs focused on young people ages 5-25, Youth Service America envisions a global culture of engaged youth who are committed to a lifetime of service, learning, leadership, and achievement.
According to research by Independent Sector and Youth Service America (Toppe; Golombek), youth service is a fundamental correlative to lifelong volunteerism and philanthropy as adults. Americans gave $260 billion to charity in 2005, and most of these donors are also volunteers for various health, education, human service, and environmental causes. Surveys show the majority of these volunteers started the practice as children.
With the support of the State Farm Companies Foundation and PARADE Magazine, Youth Service America organizes National & Global Youth Service Day, a public education campaign to highlight the amazing contributions that young people make to their communities 365 days of the year. As the largest service event in the world and YSA's premier program, it draws together a remarkable consortium of local, regional, national, and international partners. Working with Global Youth Action Network, YSA developed Global Youth Service Day program in 2000, now coordinating the event in more than 100 countries.