HURLOCK, Md.- Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced proposed legislation that would allow high school graduates to take a gap year to serve in their community.
Students would be placed with a public or private sector partner or employer. Students will work at least 30 hours and partner with a mentor. According to the governor’s office, once completed, students would be awarded a $3,000 stipend. A partner will pay participants $15 per hour and connect them with mentors.
“Not only does the service year provide a bridge for young people to the next stage of their lives, it will be a bridge between different groups in our society,” said governor Moore. “The Service Year Program can bring people together in these divisive times and increase civic engagement and participation. I am proud to testify in support of my legislation that will change the way we approach pathways from education to employment.”
Some students like Avlynn Bennett on the eastern shore say they like the idea.
“If I could get back to my community that’s helped me have this opportunity then I would want to get back to them,” said Bennett.
Dylan Ruppert says both the student and the community can benefit from the program, if passed by the legislature.
“It’ll be a great program to give students another option post graduation. A lot of kids, they feel very existential about, ‘what am I gonna do once I graduate high school?’, so giving kids this option where it will be a benefit to the community as well as give them the work experience they need to actually be successful is really great,” said Ruppert. “That would be invaluable to me and anyone else.”
Ruppert says he would be interested in humanitarian work.
“For me personally, anything to do with helping people… definitely more humanitarian rather than environmental-based. That's one area I’ve seen a lot of people want to advocate for. A humanitarian effort is where I would want to take it for me personally.”
Classmate Adrian Todd says he also hopes the state approves this program.
“Experience outside of school is crucial because not all jobs require students to have more education and others some jobs require experience. And I think it’s very good for the community. It can mold students to be more active in the community.”
Earlier this year, Moore created the new Department of Service and Civic Innovation, which would house the SERVE Act.