Federal Resources

4-H Afterschool is a special focused effort within the 4-H Youth Development Program that helps 4-H and other youth-serving organizations create and improve after-school programs in urban, suburban, and rural communities across the United States.

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.

This site provides information on the state and community Children, Youth, and Families at Risk programs funded by the National Insitute of Food and Agriculture.

CYFERnet is a national network of Land Grant university faculty and county Extension educators working to support community-based educational programs for children, youth, parents and families. It provides program, evaluation and technology assistance for children, youth and family community-based programs and is funded as a joint project of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's NIFA and the Cooperative Extension System

The CES, administered by over 130 land grant universities and anchored in all 3,150 counties across the country, is a network of academically trained university faculty and staff who provide a broad array of staff training, curriculum, community collaboration building, evaluation, resource development, and other expertise and resources to out-of-school time programs.

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.

This course, from the University of Wisconsin Extension, provides a holistic approach to planning and evaluating education and outreach programs. It helps program practitioners use and apply logic models - a framework and way of thinking to help us improve our work and be accountable for results. You will learn what a logic model is and how to use one for planning, implementation, evaluation or communicating about your program.

This site provides resources on families, youth, and communities from Cooperative Extension experts around the country.

National 4-H Headquarters, United States Department of Agriculture. 4-H is the largest youth organization in the United States for children and youth ages 5 to 19. Visit the Cooperative Extension Office near you to find a 4-H program in your community

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.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) advances knowledge for agriculture, the environment, human health and well-being, and communities by supporting research, education, and extension programs in the Land-Grant University System and other partner organizations. NIFA replaced the former Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), which had been in existence since 1994.

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.

The site features the latest announcements, press releases, speeches and information regarding Department of Justice initiatives in tribal communities. It also provides comprehensive resources available through the Office of Tribal Justice and the Department's grant-making divisions: the Office of Justice Programs, Community Oriented Policing Services and the Office on Violence Against Women. Access to the Department's Combined Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS) is also available on the Web site.

This profile highlights the experience of Lauren Rhoades, a young woman who served for two years with FoodCorps in Mississippi. Lauren shares about her experience, what she learned from her term of service, and her plans for the future. 

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 deployment reports detail where teams are serving across the country, as well as which organizations, efforts, and initiatives they are currently supporting. 

This resource identifies the final nine designations of the President’s Promise Zone initiative. Promise Zones are high poverty areas selected to work with the federal government to improve local job and economic growth, bolster educational opportunities, and reduce crime. 

This report describes the life and career outcomes reported by a sample of AmeriCorps alumni from 2005, 2010, and 2013. Alumni report their experiences with AmeriCorps improved their problem-solving skills, benefited and advanced their career path, helped them achieve their educational goals, and increased the likelihood they would be involved in their community post-service.