We live in a world facing critical challenges that require our collective attention and action. Young people - like all people - yearn to be a part of the solution. As an extension of the summer phase of United We Serve, the 2009 National Learn & Serve Challenge is a sustained, focused effort to promote youth civic engagement and service-learning, a hands-on teaching method that engages young people in solving problems within their schools and communities as part of academic studies and other out-of-school time learning activities.

The National Learn & Serve Challenge will kick off October 5-12, 2009 by issuing a national call to action to schools, college campuses and youth-serving organizations to commit to engaging a significant number of young people in service-learning activities that address the tough problems facing the country.

Young people-from elementary to college age-will help rebuild and renew their local or global community by using the content knowledge and skills learned in the classroom or a community-based program to create and implement innovative solutions to problems within five priority areas:

• Community renewal, including responding to the economic crisis
• Education, including literacy and keeping kids in school
• Energy and the environment
• Health and nutrition
• Safety and security

Get started today! Visit www.learnandservechallenge.org to accept the Challenge. Let us know you are ready to engage young people in service-learning in your classroom, youth group, club, school, campus, faith-based or community organization