Michael Brown: Champion for Voluntary National Service

On February 7, 2007, the Zuckerman Fellows met with Michael Brown, co-founder and former president of City Year, to learn from a leader in the field of social entrepreneurship. Brown spoke of the unique vision that drives City Year, which he says is an “action tank” – a dynamic variant on a think tank. Brown explained that as an action tank, City Year combines a think tank’s theory and research with active programs on the ground.

Brown outlined for the Fellows the major differences between a program role and a theory role. In its program role, he said, City Year provides young adults (ages 17-24) with volunteer opportunities for national service, ranging from working in schools to carrying out civic building projects. In its think tank role, on the other hand, City Year promotes domestic voluntary service as a clear option, like military service, for serving the country and building a stronger, more responsive democracy.

For the Fellows, the meeting with Brown was inspiring because of the passionate dedication with which he spoke about City Year and its mission. At the end of his remarks, Brown offered the Fellows three universal keys to success for solving public policy challenges: “Find your passion, then become an expert in the field, and then use that knowledge and passion to launch an innovative solution for action.”

-- Elisa M. Basnight