Panetta Institute Adds Two National Leaders to Volume 19, No. 2 Jefferson-Lincoln Awards Recipient List Winter 2017 undreds of Panetta Institute supporters who have shown an exceptional commitment Hgathered on Veterans Day at The Inn at to public service and a bipartisan approach Inside: Spanish Bay to honor two United States to difficult issues. More than fifty • Secretary Panetta senators, adding them to the long list of individuals have been recognized since the Calls for Rededication public servants and journalists honored over first program in 2000. to Public Service the years for their commitment to Panetta Institute Co-Chair and CEO Sylvia compromise and bipartisanship. • Policy Research Panetta paid special tribute to several past Fellows Take a Deep Billed as An Evening to Honor Lives of honorees, including Senators John McCain, Look at Bipartisan Public Service, this year’s event bestowed Lisa Murkowski, Dianne Feinstein and Governance the Jefferson-Lincoln Awards to Ohio Senator Susan Collins and journalists Wolf Blitzer, • Reading Program Rob Portman (R) and Rhode Island David Brooks and Judy Woodruff. She said, Continues to Help Senator Jack Reed (D). “Tonight’s honorees join this impressive list Those Who Need it of other recipients who continue to uphold Most Institute chairman Leon Panetta praised the the ideals of the Jefferson-Lincoln Awards in honorees, saying, “We pay tribute to those their work on behalf of our democracy.” leaders who are committed to the principles that have historically made our country an inspirational example of the democratic process at its best.” Senator Portman has served in both chambers of Congress and held two Cabinet positions. Secretary Panetta said, “In each of these posts, he has always worked to put the needs of his constituents and the country above party politics.” As for Senator Reed, Secretary Panetta said, “He has a proven record of working on a bipartisan basis to help solve problems and achieve results.” The Panetta Institute established the annual Jefferson-Lincoln Award eighteen years ago to Secretary and Mrs. Panetta along with honorees Senator Rob Portman (left) recognize elected and appointed officials and Senator Jack Reed. 2 PANETTA INSTITUTE update
National Service Program Urged in New Report new report commissioned by the sense of duty and purpose as A Panetta Institute shows that a national well as a shared experience service program could provide benefits to with others. young people and to the country as well. Secretary Panetta said, The study examines a wide range of national “The report shows that it is service programs such as AmeriCorps, VISTA, important that all young the Peace Corps, Job Corps and City Year, people are given the opportunity to serve in calling them highly cost-effective in providing some capacity. That fact is that the national needed services while giving participants a work service structure is basically already in place, experience that can benefit them for the rest of but for each position filled, a dozen their lives. individuals are turned away because of inadequate funding and support.” A broad-based national service system, the report finds, would provide those who serve a
A Message from the Chairman Working to Restore Trust in Our Democracy By Leon E. Panetta e all recognize that Many Americans today recognize the problems Wthese are challeng with our democracy. The hope is that things ing times for our democracy. can change from the top down. But the reality is that things will only change from the bottom In my fifty years of public up. We need to start with a new generation of service, I have seen Wash leaders dedicated to public service. ington at its best and Wash ington at its worst. The That is the mission of the Panetta Institute. good news is that I have We strongly believe in the strength and seen our democracy work well, with Republicans resilience of the American people and of our and Democrats acting together to resolve issues system of government. and find consensus. Unfortunately, that’s not That’s why our mission at the Panetta Institute the case currently: I have never seen Washington is to inspire young people to lives of public as partisan and as dysfunctional as it is today. service, to restore public trust in our demo Congress is unwilling to cooperate in developing cratic institutions. Our programs focus on bipartisan solutions to the serious issues facing helping citizens become more informed by the American people. Instead of leadership, we honoring leaders with true integrity, by have crisis. The price is a loss of trust, between presenting programs that inform rather than the parties and between the people and those we incite, and by inspiring and preparing young elect to office. Anger and frustration drove the people for lives devoted to making our election results of 2016. The challenge is not democracy work for all of us. which party can divide and conquer, but which Your help with this effort is more important party can unify and govern the country. than ever. update PANETTA INSTITUTE 3
Panetta Interns Get In-Depth Look at Congress he Panetta Institute’s nationally renown TCongressional Internship Program once again in 2017 introduced students from twenty three California State University campuses and three private schools to an up-close look at how Congress works during an eleven-week internship in Washington, D.C. This year’s challenge for the Institute was to inspire and educate interns in an atmosphere of increased skepticism of national leadership by young people on today’s campuses. As Secretary Panetta points out, “Our 2017 This fall’s class of interns join Secretary Panetta on the U.S. Capitol steps. national poll of college students found that today’s college students take the most pessimistic view of the direction of the “Our goal is to demonstrate that the students “Students them- country in the history of the survey. Three themselves can change their perception of our out of five students say the country is on the democracy,” says Institute Co-Chair and CEO selves can wrong track.” Sylvia Panetta. change their However, after an in-depth education starting Panetta interns, unlike those in other college perception of our with a two-week orientation and training and university programs, are aided by not only course at the Institute’s Monterey Bay their two-week orientation program at the democracy.” headquarters and eleven weeks of service on Institute, but also by weekly meetings once they Capitol Hill, interns discovered that they can are in Washington with a variety of the nation’s — Sylvia Panetta indeed be part of the national political process. top policy thinkers and decision makers.
Policy Research Fellows Take a Deep Look at Bipartisan Governance he Policy Research Fellows Program at The The Fellows, who receive three units of TPanetta Institute for Public Policy took academic credit and three units of on the challenge this fall of what it would take experiential credit at Santa Clara University to propose and enact real-life bipartisan School of Law, work under the direction of legislation. With the help of Panetta Institute Institute faculty: attorney Sonia Banks, the professors, four students from Santa Clara program’s lead professor teaches public University School of Law worked through the policy making and analysis; professor complexities of how policy is implemented. Richard Kezirian, Ph.D., teaches graduate political history classes; former California “The Fall 2017 class of policy research Assemblyman Fred Keeley teaches the fellows excelled in their understanding of practical application and implementation of why compromise is vital to a successful policy; and local attorney Bill Daniels democracy,” commented Sonia Banks, an teaches policy advocacy. institute professor. The Panetta Institute for Public Policy NON-PROFIT ORG. 100 Campus Center, Building 86E U.S. POSTAGE PAID CSU Monterey Bay THE PANETTA Seaside, CA 93955 INSTITUTE Donate online at PanettaInstitute.org
Monterey County Reads Continues to Help Those Who Need it Most onterey County Reads, the Panetta MInstitute’s longest running program, continues to flourish as it enters its twenty- We Ask Your Help first year. The Panetta Institute helps The reading assistance program for area prepare citizens for lives of children in grades one through three has public service and greater become a major force throughout Monterey civic involvement. Please County: it has touched the lives of approxi help us continue this work mately 17,000 children since its inception in with your tax deductible 1997. The program is aimed at those students donation. who are in danger of falling behind because they struggle with the printed word. Monterey County Reads has helped thousands of children learn the joy of reading. Monterey County Reads has benefitted from more than 3,400 volunteers, not to mention the many teachers who have been involved in Certainly the most heartwarming moments for the program. This year, first-grade teacher children in the program comes at the end of Nicole Aboujaoude became perhaps the first each semester when the Institute distributes person to see the program from two sides – as storybooks to the participants, some of whom the onetime volunteer while a student at are receiving a book of their own for the very California State University Monterey Bay and first time. The sheer number of storybooks now as teacher at Foothill Elementary School distributed demonstrates the breadth of this in Monterey. program: approximately 17,000 books have been distributed to children over the years. “I remember how great it was as a volunteer to see the children improve and get on the cusp Monterey County Reads recruits its of reading at grade level,” said Ms. Abouja volunteers from area businesses, colleges, oude. “Now, as a teacher I see that in a short military installations, faith groups and time they make it all the way to grade level. community organizations. Individuals and It’s exciting to see; Monterey County Reads is organizations who want to get involved are helping the ones who need it most.” encouraged to contact the Panetta Institute.
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