Results of Panetta Institute 2012 Youth Civic Engagement Survey Show College Students Grow Increasingly Concerned About the Future of the Country
A new national survey by the Panetta Institute for Public Policy shows only 24 percent of U.S. college students feeling “confident and secure” about America’s future, a further drop from the gloomy 32 percent recorded a year ago, and students are deeply dissatisfied with the country’s overall political leadership. Despite improved perception of the economy, according to these new findings only 49 percent are “confident” about their personal future. “While some economic indicators suggest the economy is improving,” notes Institute director Sylvia Panetta, “in the minds of these students the recession is still very much with us, particularly when it comes to job opportunities.”
However, students’ anxiety about their job prospects after graduation appears not to have lowered their opinion of the quality of the education they are receiving. Eighty-six percent report that they are either very or fairly satisfied with the preparation they are getting for life after college. Further, a substantial portion of students may be considering new forms of employment with 38 percent expressing an interest in working for a not-for-profit community organization or foundation, and 38 percent – a record high in the history of this survey – responding that they have considered pursuing a service-oriented experience such as Teach for America, VISTA or AmeriCorps after they graduate. For more on this year’s results and a complete summary report of the 2012 findings click here.
Panetta Institute 2012 Lecture Series –Revolutions of the 21st Century: Changing Our Way of Life
Standby tickets available for May 7 event on The Presidency
The fifteenth annual Panetta Institute Lecture Series is underway with a focus this year on Revolutions of the 21st Century: Changing Our Way of Life. Topics include U.S. foreign policy and the Middle East; the economy; the 
presidency; and the Internet. Featured speakers are Dennis Ross; Fran Townsend; Robert Reich; Alan Simpson; 
Michael Beschloss; David Brinkley; Vinton Cerf; Arianna Huffington and Larry Magid. Commenting on this year’s season Institute Director Sylvia Panetta remarked: “From the protests across the Middle East to the Occupy Wall Street movement new voices are being heard and old assumptions are being challenged. The developing global economy and new technology add to this phenomenon and heighten the speed of change. In the face of this momentum how can we know if what we are seeing is true progress and how can we protect the ideals of both freedom and democracy in this new age? We’ll discuss these issues with top experts in balanced and illuminating discussions.” For more information about this year’s season click here.
Pulitzer Prize Winning Author Jane Smiley Gave Keynote Address at 15th Annual Monterey County Reads Volunteer Recognition Ceremony
The Panetta Institute’s literacy initiative, Monterey County Reads, honored more than 225 reading volunteers who have read with children in classrooms throughout Monterey County during the 2011-2012 school year. An audience of fellow volunteers, school site personnel and local elected officials celebrated the commitment these individuals are making to improve the literacy skills of Monterey County’s struggling young readers. Speaking at the event was Pulitzer Prize winning author Jane Smiley. Dr. Smiley is the author of many novels and non-fiction books. In 2001 she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. She received the PEN USA Lifetime Achievement Award for Literature in 2006 and her novel A Thousand Acres was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. Her most recent novels are Private Life for adults and True Blue for young adults.
Commenting on the event, Panetta Institute director Sylvia M. Panetta explained, “These volunteers are providing an invaluable service in our community. All children have the potential to live fulfilling lives and contribute to their communities, but to do so they must have the necessary tools. Our children must be able to read well in order to succeed. Monterey County Reads volunteers provide our children with the extra assistance they need to become life-long readers. It is our honor to recognize their important work and to celebrate the gift of literacy.”
Panetta Institute Interns Selected for 2012 Congressional Internship Program
Twenty-six college students have been confirmed to participate in the fourteenth annual Congressional Internship Program. Students were nominated by the presidents of their home campuses in the California State University System, and from Dominican University of California and Santa Clara University. Selected for their exemplary scholastic achievements and their interest in policy and politics, students participated in in-depth interviews with Panetta Institute senior staff and a representative of the California State University Chancellor’s office. Approved applicants were then accepted into the 2012 intern class.
The Panetta Institute intern program is considered one of the finest in the nation in part because of the comprehensive training and exposure to experts the interns receive. In August, the new interns will attend a two-week intensive training program at the Panetta Institute before traveling to Washington D.C. to serve in the office of a member of the California congressional delegation.
Another unique feature of this program is the scope of experts who are invited to give weekly seminars on current issues and different aspects of government policy while the interns are in Washington, D.C. The 2011 class attended seminars with such noted authorities as Chief of Staff to the President of the United States William Daley; former Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta; U.S. Representative Sam Farr; U.S. Representative Dan Lungren; former U.S. Representatives Bill Lowery and Marty Russo; U.S. House Parliamentarian John Sullivan; senior advisor to the Senate Finance Committee John Angell; former Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs Pat Griffin; White House correspondent for the New York Times Jackie Calmes; president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget Maya MacGuineas; National Public Radio correspondent for legal affairs Nina Totenberg; and Politico journalist Charles Mahtesian.
Commenting on her experience in the program, 2011 intern Angelica Sagum from CSU Los Angeles reflected: “Washington is far from being a perfect place and in times like these when we are at a stalemate—issues not being solved or even negotiated—faith in one’s country can be disheartening. However, through participating in this internship, I have developed a desire to serve the people and do whatever it is I can do to help our nation’s well being. Thank you for this opportunity.”
Click here for more information on the Panetta Institute’s Congressional Internship Program.
Monterey County Reads Expands Volunteer Base with Additional Recruitment Efforts in Underserved Areas
Now in its fifteenth year, the Panetta Institute’s literacy initiative, Monterey County Reads, continues its effort to enlist a wide spectrum of community members in its work to have children in Monterey County reading at grade level by the end of third grade. In recent months, the Panetta Institute has placed an even greater emphasis on expanding volunteer recruitment in the Salinas and Salinas Valley areas. The program has recruited new volunteers from the Alisal Rotary, Madonna del Sasso Church and Santa Barbara Bank & Trust in Salinas as well as Rabobank in Gonzales. To date, Monterey County Reads has recruited, trained and placed more than 2,200 volunteers. These volunteers have logged more than 98,000 hours reading one-to-one with children. During the 2011-2012 school year our volunteers have already worked with 1,123 young readers. Click here to learn more about this program and how you can help.
Gates, Rivlin and Blitzer Honored with 2011 Jefferson-Lincoln Award at Twelfth Annual Evening to Honor Lives of Public Service
The Panetta Institute presented its 2011 Jefferson-Lincoln Awards on Saturday, November 7, 2011. The annual award, which celebrates citizens whose careers exhibit strong dedication to the key principles of our democracy and the preservation of our nation, was presented to former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates; former director of the Office of Management and Budget Alice Rivlin; and CNN lead political anchor Wolf Blitzer. The honorees each gave brief remarks as they accepted the awards in front of a sold-out audience of more than 400 supporters. The awards ceremony was part of the Panetta Institute’s annual Jefferson- Lincoln Awards: An Evening to Honor Lives of Public Service that featured a four-course dinner from celebrated chefs from across the nation as well as outstanding Monterey County wines.
Institute director Sylvia Panetta remarked: “A number of guests commented on the inspirational nature of this program. At a time when our nation faces so many challenges, it is essential that we celebrate public servants who rise above the interest of political parties or commercial interests and choose instead to protect the best interests of the country and our democracy. They serve as examples for their colleagues, for all of us and for the students of the Panetta Institute.” Click here for more information on this annual fundraiser.