The Stennis Center for Public Service welcomes you to the inaugural edition of Public Service Review.

One of the Stennis Center’s specific duties outlined by Congress is to “foster a sense of civic responsibility among the youth of the United States,” which is straight from the Stennis Center’s enabling legislation (P.L. 100-458—Oct. 1, 1988; Subtitle B). What you see below is the latest effort to do just that – attract young people to public service – through young voices for service.

Public Service Review is a journal dedicated to the publication and dissemination of young people’s reflections and experiences in the public service sector through professional or volunteer opportunities. The purpose of this journal is to acknowledge and influence the important and substantive work carried out by young people in local, state, and federal government entities, universities and colleges, and nonprofit organizations across the United States. This edition will introduce you to 13 dedicated students from 11 universities who share their stories—from how their childhood experiences influenced their desire for service to how the COVID-19 pandemic changed their approach to service and beyond.

This edition also introduces several features that we hope you will enjoy. It includes student interviews with current members of Congress on topics related to public service. In this issue,
we feature two members of the Stennis Center’s Board of Trustees—U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS)—who spoke on their work on the Cultivating Opportunity and Response to the Pandemic through Service Act (CORPS Act). Public Service Review also features “Reflections from Capitol Hill,” in which current and former interns share what it is like to work on the Hill. 

If you have any thoughts or suggestions, or if you would like to recommend a young person to spotlight in the journal, please email us at psreview@stennis.gov. It is imperative that we continue to enhance our programs and resources to better serve you and our commitment to public service.