Idealism is the defining characteristic of youth and it has many expressions. Many young people yearn to do something meaningful to help others and to fix society’s myriad problems. The Peace Corps is an example of a successful effort aimed at channeling young Americans’ passion and energy to create positive change in our world. There are many other programs, like Teach for America and City Year, that provide the opportunity for young Americans to do service, but the U.S. has never developed a major nationwide initiative or campaign that has truly transformed how we think about national service in our country and how it can improve the quality of life for both U.S. citizens and people globally. Until now.