UK – Universal Youth Civil Society Involvement Proposed

According to Third Sector, the UK Conservative party is proposing a promising new program to try to increase youth involvement in civil society.  The program, called the National Citizen Service, is intended to be a two-month summer volunteering program for 16-year-olds.  Initially, the idea was to make it compulsory for all youth; however, the Conservatives pulled back from that idea on the ground that it was going too far too fast.  As currently proposed, the program will not be compulsory but Conservatives hope to make it a high quality program that will eventually become universal.  If the program materializes,  it  is projected to cost £50 million over 2011 and 2012.

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