First-year Bryant student to take part in launch of ServiceNation

Kyle Baldwin ’12 will be part of today’s kickoff that will feature presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama.

Over the next two days, Kyle Baldwin ’12 (Fairfield, CA) will take part in the first ever ServiceNation Summit, which kicks off in New York City later this afternoon on the 7th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

More than 600 leaders of all ages and sectors including education, non-profit, politics, and business will come together to start a dialogue to encourage the next president of the United States to build a new era of service in the country. Baldwin, a social entrepreneur himself, will have the chance to spread the word about a nonprofit organization, My Own Books, which he created with his brother.

One of the highlights of the two-day event is tonight’s presidential forum on service that will feature Senators John McCain and Barack Obama. Each will discuss their views on citizenship and explain their ideas for the role of service in America. The closing program on Thursday includes former presidential candidate and New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who earlier this year became the first governor to create a cabinet post dedicated to service and volunteering.

Bryant student Kyle Baldwin ’12 (Fairfield, CA) will join more than 600 leaders of all ages and sectors including education, non-profit, politics, and business as part of the first ever ServiceNation Summit, which kicks off on the 7th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Getting involved, making a difference

Two years ago, Baldwin and his younger brother, Brady, who is also attending the summit, started My Own Books. Their love for reading led them to start the organization after a study revealed that children who enjoy reading are more likely to experience academic success, and that low-income children don’t have the same access to books.

Since the organization was started, My Own Books has donated 12,300 brand-new books collected through book drives, donations, and educational grants to less fortunate children.

(L-R) Kyle Baldwin ’12 (Fairfield, CA) with his brother, Brady, started My Own Books, which has donated 12,300 books to children since it was founded in 2006.

This week’s kickoff of ServiceNation will set the stage for a national day of service that will take place on Saturday, September 27. As part of the effort, My Own Books will host “Sharing the Joy of Reading Coast to Coast.” The brothers hope to identify representatives in each of the capital cities from their hometown of Fairfield, California, to Rhode Island to read to children that day. To learn more, visit "Sharing the Joy of Reading Coast to Coast."

The event organized by the Baldwin brothers is just one of more than 2,200 events in all 50 states that are planned for September 27.

About ServiceNation

ServiceNation is a national campaign of more than 100 organizations that collectively represent 100 million Americans. The impetus for the initiative was the outpouring of interest and support for service following a Time magazine cover story last September titled “The Case for National Service.”

In addition to starting a dialogue on service, the goal is to encourage Congress and the new president of the United States to pass legislation by September 11, 2009 that would expand opportunities for volunteering nationwide.

The initiative is cochaired by Caroline Kennedy; Alma Powell, chair of America’s Promise Alliance; Richard Stengel, managing editor of Time; Vartan Gregorian, president of Carnegie Corporation of New York; and Bill Novelli, CEO of AARP.

To learn more, visit ServiceNation.