Hillary Clinton says she wants young people to have greater pathways to do good in the world.
On Friday, the Democratic presidential nominee announced plans to create a new “National Service Reserve” to provide volunteer opportunities to Americans aged 18 to 30, according to Yahoo News.
In a post on her campaign website, Clinton said the Reserve would “expand ways for young Americans to serve their communities and their country.”
Clinton set a goal of enlisting 5 million Americans in the new Reserve, as part of her larger national service platform.
Her announcement also included plans to expand existing volunteer programs AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps, more than tripling the size of AmeriCorps from 75,000 to 250,000 members per year.
“This is one of the best things about Americans—we’re doers,” Clinton wrote in a tweet on Friday. “When we see something that needs fixing, we roll up our sleeves and get to work.”
The way the Reserve would work, according to the campaign website, is anyone could sign up to join, and then national and local leaders would call upon members to participate in volunteer projects, from rebuilding homes after a disaster to cleaning a local park or helping homeless residents.
Reservists would potentially earn college credit for their service, or even a small stipend based on need, according to the campaign page.
The Clinton campaign also pointed out millennials’ reported commitment to volunteering: Demand for AmeriCorps positions is five times greater than the number of slots actually available, according to a 2013 Center for American Progress report that the campaign cited.
“However you serve, it feels great to be a part of something bigger than yourself,” Clinton tweeted. “To work toward making something good happen in the world.”
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