Year of public service, proposal by MD Governor Wes Moore

Many countries require citizens to provide some sort of national service after high school, often in the form of military service. While there has been some high level interest in establishing a year of national service in the US, that hasn’t moved much beyond talk. However, Wes Moore, the new governor of Maryland is trying to make it happen at the state level.

This article lists three key points of Moore’s plan:

First, he promises to ensure that every high school graduate in Maryland has an option to spend a year in service.
Second, students from other states who spend a year in service in Maryland can lower their public college tuition requirements to those of in-state students.
And third, by executive order, he has already created a new cabinet level Department of Service and Civic Innovation.

Moore cites the value of his own (military) service:

“My years of service transformed me. My character was strengthened, my vistas were widened, my leadership was tested.”

…

“A year of service will prepare young people for their careers — and provide our state with future leaders: public servants we desperately need.”

This seems connected to comments on another recent Tildes post about the value of a gap year before college and the importance of entering college with some degree of focus as to why you are there.