President's Summit For
America's Future

 "The era of big government may be over, but the era of challenges for our country is not. And so we need an era of big citizenship." That's how president Bill clinton summed up the idea behind the President's Summit For America's Future. This meeting drew scores of leaders and thousands of ordinary citizens to Philadelphia in April, 1997. Their message was this: People who volunteer to serve their communities can solve problems in ways government can not, especially problems faced by young people.

Retired army general Colin L. Powell was the meetings chairman. In addition to President Clinton, Vice president Gore, and their wives, guests included former Presidents George Bush, Jimmy Carter, and Gerald ford. Former President Ronald Reagan was represented by his wife, Nancy Reagan. Thirty governors, and 100 Mayors attended. On the first day, Clinton and other notables helped clean up a run-down Philadelphia neighborhood. Then, over the next two days, delegates exchanged ideas on volunteerism. Clinton proposed expanding the government volunteer program called AmeriCorps. Powell called on corporations to do more to help people. He also announced a volunteer campaign that would help provide children with adult advisers, safe places to go after school, health care, and job trainning.

DID YOU KNOW....A goal of the meeting was to get two million young people to perform 100 hours of community service.

If you would like to know more about the President's Sumit for America's Future, visit this great website.

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