Obama Triples Size of AmeriCorps Program

President Obama today signed a bill to triple the size of the AmeriCorps national service program to 250,000 positions over eight years, CBS News reports. Obama signed the legislation with Sen. Ted Kennedy—"one of the finest leaders we've ever had"—nearby. The law, named after Kennedy, is designed to encourage Americans of all ages to join. Most AmeriCorps workers earned $12,000 or less last year in jobs such as working with children, the elderly, or building houses, notes CBS.

"We need your service, right now at this moment in history," said Obama. "I'm not going to tell you what your role should be. That's for you to discover. But I'm asking you to stand up and play your part. I'm asking you to help change history's course." (More President Obama stories.)