[ti:Should High School Graduates Do a Year of Service?] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]As high school graduates enter adulthood, [00:02.92]some may be unsure of what to do next. [00:06.28]They might not be ready to attend college. [00:09.16]They might not have the skills to get a job. [00:12.32]And some do not know what kind of career they want. [00:18.52]Wes Moore is a Democratic candidate [00:20.96]for governor in the American state of Maryland. [00:24.00]As part of his campaign, Moore proposed [00:27.64]to create a paid community service year [00:30.28]for such graduates who are unsure of their next steps. [00:35.00]Moore said the graduates would volunteer [00:37.52]with non-profit groups and community organizations. [00:41.00]In exchange for their service, [00:43.28]they would receive job training and mentorship. [00:46.64]They can also get money to pay for college. [00:52.08]Before his run for governor, [00:53.92]Moore was involved with Service Year Alliance, [00:57.04]an organization that works to connect those looking to serve [01:01.08]with groups across the country in need of volunteers. [01:06.12]Kristen Bennett is the president of Service Year Alliance. [01:09.76]She said national service or community service, [01:13.12]should be a "common expectation and opportunity" for all Americans. [01:18.36]She compared it to getting an internship or attending college. [01:22.40]And she suggested that Moore's plan could make that happen. [01:27.68]Moore's program would be similar to the existing Americorps program. [01:32.12]It is a federal government program [01:34.40]that connects volunteers with organizations nationwide. [01:38.60]Volunteers can do things like cleaning up disaster areas, [01:42.56]helping environmental efforts, working in afterschool programs, [01:47.68]or assisting military veterans. [01:50.56]Many are also involved in COVID-19 programs. [01:55.84]Americorps volunteers receive very little money for their work. [02:00.52]Bennett said that makes it "impossible for youth [02:03.32]from marginalized backgrounds and communities [02:06.40]to participate without financial support." [02:09.16]She added that "this is something [02:11.76]we think is really important to see change." [02:15.60]Bennett said states like Washington and California [02:19.12]have also provided more money for Americorps volunteers. [02:23.04]And she applauded Moore's plan [02:25.76]to start a large service program [02:28.00]for high school graduates, calling it "really unique." [02:32.56]Public studies show that voluntary service [02:35.68]is a popular idea across political lines. [02:38.92]Voices for National Service [02:41.48]found that 88 percent of Democrats [02:44.24]and 74 percent of Republicans [02:47.24]favor an expansion of voluntary national service in a 2020 study. [02:54.08]Supporters like Bennett see national service [02:56.96]as a way to make the country less divided. [03:00.44]"Service year brings people from different backgrounds together [03:04.12]around a shared experience [03:05.88]that builds empathy and understanding," she said. [03:09.16]"When...you're working together to address [03:11.72]a very challenging issue in the community [03:14.40]it becomes easier to put aside your political [03:17.48]or religious or socioeconomic differences." [03:22.08]Several candidates for president, [03:24.08]including John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Pete Buttigieg, [03:28.64]proposed to expand national service programs. [03:32.76]And a bill that would have required young Americans [03:35.72]to do two years of national service failed in Congress. [03:41.12]Critics say requiring national service is a bad idea. [03:45.44]They say the government should not force anyone to do work [03:49.40]and doing so might violate the U.S. constitution. [03:55.00]Doug Bandow is with the Cato Institute. [03:57.96]The organization supports "individual liberty, [04:01.44]limited government, free markets, and peace." [04:05.16]In 2019, Bandow wrote, "Mandatory universal national service [04:10.24]would conflict with deeply held American values, [04:13.64]violate the Constitution, create an administrative nightmare, [04:18.16]and undermine its own objective of creating a more caring America." [04:23.12]He concluded: "Such an approach is a bad idea [04:27.36]whose time has not come." [04:29.36]I'm Dan Novak. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM