The Service Academy Podcast Service Academy

In this episode, meet Will MacAskill, the eminent Scottish philosopher and bestselling author whose pioneering research on moral uncertainty and the ethics of future generations has played a pivotal role in shaping the effective altruism movement.



“I fundamentally want to make the world a better place. I'm asking the question:, how can we do as much as possible to make the world better? That's what effective altruism is about. There are just so many problems in the world — poverty, factory farming, the chance of the next pandemic — how do we prioritize among them if we want to do as much good as we can?” - Will MacAskill, Co-Founder of the effective altruism movement



Effective altruism is a twofold endeavor emerging as a philosophy and a community. As a research field, effective altruism identifies the most pressing global issues. As a community, it mobilizes this knowledge to maximize positive impact.



Mr. MacAskill and the values and efforts of the effective altruism movement have profoundly inspired Ryan and Thomas from Service Academy to answer, “How do we maximize our impact given the resources we have?” They are motivated to help others better understand what resources they have to offer the world, and for young people, it’s not money, it’s often skills and resources. It’s how to apply their strengths through impactful experiences to do the most good and improve their lives in the process.



“Effective altruism is the philosophical equivalent of Service Academy professionalizing effective resource allocation. In the case of effective altruism, for people that have a lot of extra money, Service Academy is looking to professionalize a resource allocation of the young person's time and service efforts and their resources so they can be most effective, not just in terms of changing the world, but in terms of developing their own skills, towards their own aspirations.” - Thomas Growney, Co-Founder of Service Academy



For Thomas and Ryan growing up in a world where resource allocation decisions hold immense power, effective altruism emerges as a source of optimism and practicality. MacAskill's ideas and their application resonate with Thomas & Ryan, reminding them that while luxury can bring fleeting pleasure, the personal growth impact and the benefit to humanity, now and in the future, of changing lives is immeasurable. Ultimately, Thomas and Ryan share the view that every life touched matters, and every act of altruism shapes us as better individuals and a better world for all.



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In this episode, meet Dr. Chad Nelsen, CEO of the Surfrider Foundation, a grassroots organization dedicated to protecting and preserving the world's oceans and beaches. 

“There's a horrifying statistic that the ocean is gonna have more plastic than fish in it by 2050.” - Dr. Chad Nelsen, CEO of the Surfrider Foundation

Dr. Nelsen, who grew up in a coastal community and turned his passion for surfing and the environment into a career, shares his journey from surf enthusiast to environmental activist. 

The Surfrider Foundation, which started 30 years ago with just four surfers in Malibu, California, now boasts 200 chapters nationwide. Their initiatives include beach cleanups that remove hundreds of thousands of pounds of trash annually, grading coastal states on their environmental protection efforts, and advocating for water conservation and clean access to beaches.

“Surfrider was founded by surfers concerned with the environmental impact of coastal development near their favorite surf break, Surfrider Beach in Malibu. They were channeling their love of surfing and their desire to protect one of the most beautiful surf spots in our country into a platform for grassroots campaigns that many communities use to save their local surf break and make sure that local beaches are accessible and clean for swimming.” Ryan Growney, Co-Founder of Service Academy

Dr. Nelsen and the Surfrider Foundation have achieved significant wins, such as the second-largest clean water lawsuit in the U.S., preventing irresponsible luxury developments, and leading science-driven anti-plastic projects. More recently, they thwarted a threat of offshore drilling off the Atlantic coast in a joint effort with chapters from Florida to New York.

“The local victories are all really adding up to more than just those individual wins.” - Thomas Growney, Co-Founder of Service Academy

Despite the stereotypical perception of surfers as apolitical, the Surfrider Foundation, led by surf enthusiasts, proves that communities can make a significant impact on the environment. Through local victories, they're gradually addressing broader issues like climate change and pollution, proving that every small step makes a difference.

Dr. Nelsen's and the Surfrider Foundation’s dedication and achievements have profoundly motivated Ryan and Thomas from Service Academy. They are driven to inspire others to pool their resources, knowledge, and enthusiasm to effect meaningful change within their local communities. By leveraging local power structures to effect this change, they create a learning model that can be replicated in other places. Ultimately, this series of local transformations can lead to significant, systematic change on a broader scale. 

If systemic involvement in community service and civic activities, including local environmental assets, becomes the answer to the threats plaguing our communities today, then programs encouraging youth service, and the youth that participate, stand to gain considerably. In fact, Thomas & Ryan believe such programs will be at the forefront of this powerful grassroots community effort.



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“The [social media] business model is to keep people engaged. Instead of getting your attention it was much cheaper [for them] to get you addicted to getting attention from other people.” - Tristan Harris



In this episode, meet the Co-Founder & Executive Director of the Center for Humane Technology, whose mission is to emphasize the urgent need for ethical design and government regulations to counteract the negative consequences of technology's influence.



Tristan delves into the perils of the current technology business model that thrives on maximizing engagement and capturing our attention. He sounds the alarm about the detrimental effects of social media, including cyberbullying, polarization, and the erosion of truth in society. 



Tristan’s work inspires Service Academy’s Ryan and Thomas to envision a future where social media platforms prioritize social participation and reward users for their attention instead of exploiting it. They want to  use their Service Academy platform to emphasize the potential for change,  highlight the role of youth in shaping a better technological landscape, promote responsible technology use, and prioritize service engagement. In short, they aim to create a healthier relationship between humans and technology.



“It's almost like social media companies are feeding us junk food, perfectly engineered to be irresistible. Where things like service activities are your healthy vegetables. And so we're not trying to make vegetables taste like junk food, we're just trying to make the best, freshest veggies that we can and make them easily accessible.” - Ryan Growney, Co-Founder of Service Academy



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“Our teenage population is clearly frustrated. The problem we face in America today is not a lack of willingness to serve or to help others, but to find the appropriate outlet for their zeal to help others.” - David Battey, Founder of Youth Volunteer Corps 



In this episode, meet David Battey, the founder of Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC), which is a network of organizations across the US and Canada that engage young people aged 11-18 in team-based, structured, diverse, and flexible service-learning opportunities.



YVC (Youth Volunteer Corps) has successfully partnered with a sea of local service organizations, such as the United Way, YMCA, and the Boys and Girls Clubs. With their help, YVC has grown to include 30 chapters in the US, three in Canada, and one in Uganda. The organization has successfully engaged over 300,000 young people who have collectively volunteered for almost 5 million hours of service.

The podcast also features Betsy Calmer, the Director of Marketing for YVC, who shares powerful advice on how to keep going, doing something grand, keeping it fun, not being afraid of "no," and finding new opportunities for growth. 

Betsy and David’s work inspires Service Academy’s Ryan and Thomas to find and engage existing support structures and advocates like the incredible St. George's School faculty, local nonprofits, and service pioneers like YVC. Similar to YVC, Service Academy is laser focused on developing a wellspring of student-centered opportunities that not only benefit the community, but also help young people develop the skills they need to achieve their personal goals and make a positive impact on the world.

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In this episode, meet Sara Deren, Co-Founder and CEO of Experience Camps - a national, no-cost program that helps grieving children reframe the experience of loss and empowers them with the necessary coping skills to move forward with their lives.

Sara is passionate about improving the lives of grieving children. 

Her work inspires Service Academy’s Ryan and Thomas to grow through their own difficult experiences, overcoming their own personal challenges to re-dedicate their personal strengths and resources to develop the next generation of systems change leaders through meaningful service opportunities.  

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In this episode, meet Wendy Kopp, founder of Teach for America (TFA) and Teach for All, a leadership catalyst for education equality. 

Teach for America pioneered a leadership pipeline where the smartest, highest achieving college graduates are recruited to teach for two years in the country’s lowest performing schools, making a meaningful difference in the classrooms and developing an entirely new generation of education and social impact leaders. 

Wendy’s work inspires Service Academy’s Ryan and Thomas to create systems that enable scaling — ideas that can be templated, shared and applied locally. Ryan and Thomas are applying the TFA model that focuses on the most engaged students in their community to help advocate for better, more meaningful service opportunities — ones that will allow students to develop the systems change leadership skills they want while making a positive impact in their communities.  



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