Citizens Oath

Each year thousands of immigrants raise their hands and take the Oath of Allegiance to become citizens of the United States. Many people who have witnessed this ceremony say it is extremely moving and marks a defining moment for these new citizens as they acknowledge both their constitutional rights and civic responsibilities. Recognizing that there is no similar formal ceremony for citizens born in the United States, NCoC has created and will now roll out a new Citizens Oath to give Americas youth the opportunity to declare their commitment to civic duty. The Citizens Oath is intended to inspire Americas youth to affirm their commitment to actively participate in civic life. The Citizens Oath was developed based on the belief that we as Americans are not only granted rights, but also have responsibilities to our neighbors and country. It calls upon Americas youth to learn and live out he principles of our Charters of Freedom, to vote when they are of age, to assist those in need in their communities and to learn about our countrys history and current challenges.

The inspiration for the Citizens Oath came from a speech given by Ed Skloot at a P.A.C.E. conference in May of this year. In his remarks, he described that the Ephebic Oath was taken by young Athenians as they rose to become full citizens of the worlds first democracy. In his speech, he explained how the Ephebic Oath sought to balance individual and group action. Upon hearing this speech, Harris Wofford, John Bridgeland, and David Sandak were drawn by the idea of cultivating citizens who would leave the republic in a more beautiful and just state than it was given to them. Upon hearing Ed Skloots remarks the NCoC took up his challenge to develop a modern version of the Ephebic Oath that could instill the same sense of civic duty and pride that was exhibited more than two thousand years ago in Athens.

The Citizens Oath has been developed over the past few months under the direction of Harris Wofford, former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania; Edward Skloot, Executive Director of the Surdna Foundation; Stephen Goldsmith, Chairman of the Corporation for Community and National Service; John Bridgeland, CEO of Civic Enterprises; and Theodore Sorensen, former Special Assistant to President Kennedy and speechwriter; and David Sandak of NCoC.

The Oath has been developed with the advice of a group of young people from Americas Promise, National Student Partnerships, and Youth Service America. In addition, NCoC held an afternoon seminar with young people from high schools around the country interested in public service this past summer to discuss the language and implementation of the Citizens Oath. Just as the Ephebic Oath was taken by Athenians at the crossroads between childhood and adulthood, it was determined that the Citizens Oath should be taken by students entering high school and at graduation (critical developmental junctures for developing interests in service and/or politics, voting, and working on specific issues).

The Citizens Oath is not designed to replace the Pledge of Allegiance, which is primarily taken by students in grade schools, nor is it a congressional mandate. The Citizens Oath is strictly voluntary and meant to inspire young people to fully participate in their communities. It is our hope that the principles outlined in the Citizens Oath will become a part of young peoples DNA as they move from childhood to responsible adulthood.

The Citizens Oath