Ten months of service with City Year San Jose/Silicon Valley made me realize just how much young people are capable of, and how powerful an impact can be made when a group of diverse, idealistic thinkers work together. Far from draining my will to fight the uphill battles of social equality, it enriched my desire and tripled my belief in my own ability to change the world.

Young people who serve in an AmeriCorps program are united by a remarkable commitment to helping children overcome the educational inequality that plagues the United States. They understand that it doesn’t simply take extra money, or new policies, to change this: it takes human efforts. In most underserved schools, music education is simply not an option, so it takes musicians volunteering their time and skills in order to offer children a chance for exploration.

In San Jose, I taught a music appreciation/theory class to 16 students in grades 3 through 5, and am still inspired by the joy of being able to hand a child an instrument and watch their wings grow. However I am equally moved by the difficult circumstances each of those students faces, on track to underacheive in the American education system, join their older siblings in gangs, and drop out of school. The power of music service is positive, but the need for it is a grim reality.

Instead of standing idly by while children are denied access to realizing their musical potential, older musicians everywhere are teaching their language, often for almost no pay. Why do we do this? Because it’s unacceptable that our younger brothers and sisters don’t get a fair chance. This, to me, is the true spirit of ubuntu: we suffer because our children suffer.

I believe there are people in every community that embody this spirit, volunteering their time to help others overcome unfair obstacles, especially for children who literally lack the resources to pursue the “American Dream.” I plan to spend one week in one community in every state and Washington, D.C., supporting and inspiring such heroes, as well as telling their story to spread Dr. King’s message that “Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve.”

I have planned out my schedule to run from August 2012 to August 2013, beginning in Maine and finishing in Tennessee. It’s a campaign that will rely on the kindness of others, and I hope to show that when strong hearts come together there is a synergistic result of goodwill that’s more than the sum of its parts. I’ll support many non-profit organizations throughout the year, and anticipate that around one-third of my weeklong projects will be focused on music service.

If you want to get involved, please contact me! I’d love to know of “good people” or organizations you think I should partner with, and will hope to connect to such kind folks everywhere. For more information on the trip, please visit www.projectubuntu.info and follow Project Ubuntu on Facebook and Twitter.