Federal Resources

This initiative shines a spotlight on the role libraries and museums play in bringing about positive change in the lives of young people. This report discusses the effectiveness of library programs for children and youth ages 9-19, from a year-long study of IMLS (Insitute of Museum and Library Services) grants.

This archived webinar presents details of the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) for the second round (FY 2015) of Performance Partnership Pilots for Disconnected Youth (P3), including application requirements and selection criteria for potential applicants. 

As part of the Let’s Read. Let’s Move. initiative, AmeriCorps (formerly the Corporation for National and Community Service) has compiled a list of things people can do to help children maintain active minds and bodies during the summer months.

In this video, AmeriCorps (formerly the Corporation for National and Community Service) presents a public service announcement on the importance of mentoring and what mentors and mentees can gain from this rewarding relationship. 

AmeriCorps NCCC and FEMA Corps is a 10-month, full-time, team-based residential service program for young adults who want to give back to communities in need. These recently updated deployment reports show where teams are serving across the country as well as which organizations, efforts, and initiatives they are currently supporting.

AmeriCorps NCCC is a full-time, team-based residential program for young people aged 18 to 24. Members are assigned to one of five campuses, located in Denver, Colorado; Sacramento, California; Perry Point, Maryland; Vicksburg, Mississippi; and Vinton, Iowa. The mission of AmeriCorps NCCC is to strengthen communities and develop leaders through direct, team-based national and community service. In partnership with non-profits (secular and faith-based), local municipalities, state governments, the federal government, national or state parks, Indian Tribes and schools, members complete service projects throughout the region to which they are assigned.

A new 60-second public service announcement shares the many ways that AmeriCorps members make a difference in communities, and encourages viewers to apply. 

Each year, AmeriCorps offers 75,000 opportunities for young people of all backgrounds to serve through a network of partnerships with local and national nonprofit groups.

AmeriCorps (formerly the Corporation for National and Community Service) brings people together to tackle the country’s most pressing challenges, through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps is the only federal agency tasked with elevating service and volunteerism in America. AmeriCorps provides opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to give their time and talent to strengthen communities across the country. By bringing people together to serve communities, AmeriCorps is making service to others an indispensable part of the American experience. AmeriCorps offers individuals and organizations flexible ways to make a local impact through several key programs: State and National, VISTA, NCCC, Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions, RSVP, and Volunteer Generation Fund, along with initiatives including 9/11 and MLK Day of Service.

Provides information on National Mentoring Month which has occurred annually in January since 2002. Additional resources about mentoring and National Mentoring Month are available.

FEMA Corps is a partnership between FEMA and the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) program. FEMA Corps is a unique, team-based service program that gives 18‐24‐year‐old participants the opportunity to serve communities impacted by disaster while gaining professional development experience.

FEMA Corps members live, work, and travel in dedicated teams and serve for 12 months with an option to extend for a second term. They gain training and experience while providing important support to disaster survivors and communities. They also earn a modest living stipend during their service and receive an education award upon completion of the program.

766 higher education institutions were named to the 2014 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. Four received the President’s award, the highest honor a college or university can receive, for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement. 

CNCS funded a two-part independent evaluation of its Minnesota Reading Corps program, the largest AmeriCorps tutoring program, which provides evidence-informed interventions and data-driven assessments to children from age three to grade three. The evaluation revealed students tutored by AmeriCorps members were significantly more prepared for kindergarten than students without tutors, and AmeriCorps members helped students meet or exceed targets for kindergarten readiness in all five critical literacy skills assessed. Results also showed the program was effective across a range of settings and for all students, regardless of gender, race/ethnicity, or dual language learner status. 

The Knowledge Networks page, on the AmeriCorps website, provides training and technical assistance resources organized by focus area. It connects service programs with targeted training and information.

As part of the new Uniform Guidance for AmeriCorps award and grants, recipients must record the indirect cost method and rates they will be using on their awards. AmeriCorps has created a feature in eGrants for recipients to record the method they will be using to apply their indirect costs to all awards.

The National Service-Learning Clearinghouse (NSLC) supports the service-learning community in higher education, kindergarten through grade twelve, community-based organizations, tribal programs, and all others interested in strengthening schools and communities using service-learning.

The Seniorcorps Foster Grandparent website offers information on becoming a foster grand parent. As a foster grandparent, you're a role model and friend. Serving at one of thousands of local organizations, you help children learn to read, provide one-on-one tutoring, and guide children at a critical time in their lives.

As part of a  partnership called Pathways to Progress, CNCS and the Citi Foundation have created ServiceWorks, a program that will deploy 225 Americorps VISTA members in 10 cities to help build large-scale volunteer programs that address the crisis of low college and career attainment.

This blog entry from AmeriCorps (formerly the Corporation for National and Community Service) highlights federal initiatives that promote mentoring as well as recent research on the benefits of mentoring for at risk youth.

Formerly a stand-alone technical assistance website, the Knowledge Network, which offers resources on many CNCS focus areas, is now housed directly on the CNCS website. Additionally, eCourses available through the Knowledge Network Online Learning Center no longer require a log in for access. 

Serve.gov is an online resource for not only finding volunteer opportunities in your community, but also creating your own.

“Volunteering and Civic Life in America, 2014” shows that 62.6 million Americans volunteered 7.7 billion hours in 2014 — holding an estimated value of $173 billion. Seventeen percent of respondents reported mentoring youth, and 19% reported tutoring or teaching young people. 

The report Volunteering and Civic Life in America, released by CNCS and the National Conference on Citizenship, found that 64.5 million Americans volunteered nearly 7.9 billion hours last year, illustrating the stable and strong state of volunteering among Americans of all generations. The report also found that volunteering among youth ages 16–19 has increased, up nearly 3 percent since 2007. 

This blog entry describes the experience, transformation, and success of the young people who participate in YouthBuild AmeriCorps. This program for youth born into low-income families provides them with the opportunity to work toward their high school equivalency diploma while learning job skills by building affordable housing.

CNCS, DOE, EPA, NOAA, the Rockefeller Foundation, and Cities of Service announced a new commitment to launch the Resilience AmeriCorps pilot program. Resilience AmeriCorps will help communities plan and implement efforts necessary to become more resilient to shocks and stresses, including extreme weather and other impacts of climate change. AmeriCorps VISTA members will serve in up to 12 communities in 2015-2016 to support the development of resilience strategies.