Can a simple act of service spark a lifelong commitment to social change?
And if so, can it empower the next generation of changemakers?
The answer is yes.
At Service Academy, we’ve witnessed this transformation firsthand, and it’s inspired us to evolve our mission.
We’ve always believed in the power of young people to create positive change in their communities. But as we’ve grown and learned, we’ve come to realize our mission encompasses a broader vision of social impact.
Today, we’re excited to share how we’re evolving our focus! Read on to discover more.
Our Journey: Expanding Youth Service Horizons
A Broader Vision of Youth Service
Youth service has always been at the heart of Service Academy. We’ve seen how it:
- Ignites entrepreneurial spirit
- Applies youthful energy to real-world challenges
- Builds confidence and fosters personal growth
- Creates lasting impact through collaborative efforts
It’s a powerful way to apply what you have where the world needs it most. A journey of discovery, inspiring us to dig deeper into complex problems.
But as we’ve grown, we’ve realized that youth service is just the beginning.
As we transition from high school to college and beyond, we’ve recognized that youth service is part of a much larger ecosystem of social impact.
That’s why we’re expanding our focus to include:
- Social innovation
- Deep problem understanding
- Systemic change
This evolution allows us to prepare young people not just for isolated acts of service, but for lifelong engagement with complex social challenges.
Redefining Our Mission: What Does This Mean?
Our new focus on social innovation and deep problem understanding means:
- Addressing social challenges at their roots, not just treating symptoms
- Developing new, more effective solutions to persistent problems
Empowering individuals to apply their unique strengths to issues that matter to them and their communities
Up until this point, we have striven to lower the barrier to service and simply get young people out and about in their communities. Now, we are taking a step back, instead focusing on how to get young people to truly dive into all sorts of problems.
While service solutions are helpful beyond belief for both young people and their communities, our true potential for impact lies in lowering the barrier to passionate work in any field.
We see youth service as one crucial component of a larger social impact journey. So we’re moving beyond simply getting young people involved in their communities. Now, we’re focusing on how to empower young people to dive deep into all sorts of problems, fostering passionate work in any field.
Why This Shift Matters
We’ve been working hard to reframe youth service, moving away from the association with mandatory, performative “service hours” to an opportunity for personal growth and meaningful community impact.
As we expand our focus to social impact more broadly, we’re applying this same principle: it’s not about checking boxes or accumulating hours, but about creating real, lasting change.
This shift allows us to:
- Address a wider range of social challenges
- Engage young people with diverse interests and passions
- Promote more comprehensive problem-solving approaches
- Prepare young people for lifelong engagement in social impact work
- Scale our impact by fostering innovation and systemic change
“We’re not changing who we are; we’re amplifying what we can achieve.”
– Ryan Growney, Co-founder of Service Academy
Our Commitment to Youth Service
While we’re broadening our focus, youth service remains crucial to what we do. We see it as a powerful tool for young people to:
- Engage with social challenges
- Develop crucial skills
- Make tangible impacts in communities
As we move forward, we’ll continue to champion youth service as a vital component of the social impact journey.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Service Academy
This isn’t a change of direction in our mission; it’s an evolution.
We’re still committed to empowering young people, still passionate about creating positive change. But now, we’re opening up new possibilities, new pathways for impact.
Our existing projects will evolve, too, in support of this broader mission:
- Our card game will inspire social innovation
- Our podcast will explore a wider range of social impact stories
- The Superpower Field Guide will help identify strengths for broader social impact
- Our framework will guide deep problem understanding and impactful action
They’ll become tools not just for service, but for understanding and action across a range of social issues.
Join Us on This Journey
As we embark on this new chapter, we invite you to join us. Whether you’re passionate about traditional volunteerism, innovative problem-solving, or anything in between, there’s a place for you in this expanded vision of social impact.
Together, we can create a world where every young person has the opportunity to understand complex social challenges, innovate solutions, and create meaningful, lasting change.
This is the next generation of Service Academy — and we’re just getting started.
Are you ready to be part of this evolution? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below!
— Ryan & Thomas Growney
About Our Gap Year Journey
We’re Ryan and Thomas Growney, twin brothers and co-founders of Service Academy.
After graduating from St. George’s School in Rhode Island, we’ve embarked on a gap year to explore how different cultures approach problem understanding, community engagement, service, and social innovation.
Our journey will take us to various countries, including South Africa, where we’ll participate in the Tilting Futures program, and the Himalayas, where we’ll be joining the NOLS for a high-altitude mountaineering challenge. Throughout this year, we aim to challenge our assumptions, broaden our perspectives, and gather insights that will help us enhance our approach to social impact back home.
Ryan is particularly interested in scaling service initiatives to develop young leaders, while Thomas focuses on the personal connections and community belonging that service creates. By sharing our experiences, we hope to contribute to a broader dialogue about service, mentorship, community engagement, and cross-cultural learning.
We invite you to follow along with our journey, engage with our reflections, and share your own insights about service in diverse contexts.
Together, we can work towards creating more meaningful and impactful youth service ecosystems that benefit both young people and their communities.