King Emphasizes Benefits of National Service Programs, Need for Increased Investments in Civics Education

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) highlighted the value of public service for both young Americans and the country at large, as well as the need for increased civics education in American schools. During his questioning in a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator King and Commissioner Alan Khazei of the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service agreed on the importance of civic education in high school curriculums, and the need to expand National Service programs such as AmeriCorps and Peace Corps to meet growing demand.

Senator King and Commissioner Khazei agree on the importance of civic education for young people.

SENATOR KING: "The necessity of greater civic education I don't think can be overestimated. I think one of the great losses -- and I don't quite understand why it's happened in the last 30, 40 years -- has been the decline of civics, literally, civics in high school curriculum around the country."

COMMISSIONER KHAZEI: "Senator, we completely agree with you on the issue of civics. And that's why we recommended a new civics front with the Department of Education, $200 million a year, and are excited about the new legislation that's being introduced today in a bipartisan fashion. Right now the federal government spends about $5 million a year on civics and spends over $3 billion on STEM and when the government committed on investing in STEM, STEM accelerated all around the country. We think the same commitment should be made in civics. And we heard it all everywhere we went, people raised the same concerned you did."

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