Andrew Shue, star of Fox TV's Melrose Place, spoke at the John F. Kennedy School of Government last night about "Do Something," an organization he founded in 1993 to provide resources for young leaders who want to strengthen their communities.

"We started building up these structures locally where young people could learn to become social entrepreneurs," Shue told an audience of approximately 120 people.

He emphasized the importance of structured community service because people who try to make changes on their own often find themselves without the resources and guidance necessary to succeed.

"We need to have common goals, a common structure, and a common way to measure how we're doing," Shue said.

Sarah Kass, who won a Brick Award from Shue's organization for exceptional community leadership, agreed.

"A school can't work in isolation.... Too often public schools close their doors to the community," Kass said.

Kass, whom Shue lauded as "the ultimate social entrepreneur," has established a school in Boston, located on Huntington Avenue, called City on a Hill.

Shue also talked about establishing "community coaches," analogous to sports coaches, in schools. These administrators would work to bring together local schools with people interested in helping young people.

Working full-time, community coaches would function as highly visible contact persons for the community. The positions would be funded in a variety of ways, including corporate sponsorships and local government.

"Even if you start [community coaches] out part-time, hopefully people will start to see how important it is," Shue said.

When asked whether he believed the government had a role in his vision, Shue said he wanted to limit the bureaucracy in "Do Something."

Shue's organization also has a local chapter called "Boston Do Something."

Through this program, young people are offered grants of up to five hundred dollars and 15-week leadership training programs to help them tackle the issues affecting their community