Service to Service
Service to Service
Through the Service to Service initiative, a partnership between the Volcker Alliance and We the Veterans, schools of public service will connect veterans and military families with public service education pathways and propel them into stable and impactful careers in public leadership.
Mission
The Volcker Alliance and We the Veterans will serve as the nonprofit anchors of the Service to Service initiative. The organizations will support location-based pilots to explore strategies for connecting individuals exiting active military service to public service educational opportunities.
The veteran community, estimated to include over 17 million Americans, is an intuitive and promising demographic to more intentionally channel into public service careers. In constructing a military-to-civilian service pipeline, governments and schools of public service stand to attract a socio-economically and racially diverse group of leaders. What is more, veterans and military families are a well-networked, easily mobilized, and service-oriented group of Americans. The veteran community also holds incredibly high levels of public trust—approximately 70% of Americans have confidence in veterans to “do what’s right” for America. By connecting veterans and military family members to opportunities to serve again through public service, we can leverage the widespread public trust of the veteran community to shore up confidence in government and democratic institutions.
Service to Service will attract veterans and military family members to public service education programs and facilitate placement in state and local government internships and jobs. The following components are critical to the initiative’s success:
Pathway Promotion
We the Veterans will partner with participating schools of public service to develop strategies and materials to help attract military-connected students.
Student Recruitment
Schools of public service will identify master’s degree offerings that train military-connected students in needed public management skills and aim to enroll an inaugural cohort of graduate students for Fall 2025. Schools will leverage traditional recruitment channels as well as evolving partnerships with veteran-serving programs and organizations to reach this target yield.
Student Experience
Schools will offer wraparound support and guidance to students to encourage retention and degree attainment. Students will also convene across campuses to enhance their experience through community-building, networking, and professional development programming.
Community of Practice
Participating schools of public service will engage in a pioneering community of practice coordinated by the Volcker Alliance. Program staff from each campus will collaborate and elevate best practices in military-connected student engagement.
Job Placement
The Volcker Alliance and schools of public service will partner with state and local government agencies to facilitate placement of Service to Service graduates in high-need roles. While employment in state and local government is not required of students participating in the initiative, career services and professional development efforts will emphasize those opportunities.
