The Corps Network Announces 2026 Corpsmember and Project of the Year Awards
Annual awards recognize achievements, leadership, and innovation in the Service and Conservation Corps community. Awardees represent the impact programs can have on individuals, communities, and our public lands.
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Awardees will be honored at our virtual National Conference, #CorpsCon26, on March 24-25 and at an awards ceremony in Washington, DC, during our Advocacy Action Summit on May 5-6.
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WASHINGTON, DC (December 17, 2025) – The Corps Network, the National Association of Service and Conservation Corps, is pleased to announce the 2026 winners of our Corpsmember and Project of the Year Awards. The honorees will be recognized at our virtual National Conference, taking place March 24-25, as well as at an awards ceremony in Washington, DC, during our Advocacy Action Summit, taking place May 5-6.
The Corpsmember and Project of the Year Awards are among the highest honors The Corps Network grants and are a notable achievement within the national Service and Conservation Corps community. The awards are presented on an annual basis to select individuals and organizations within The Corps Network’s membership of 150 Service and Conservation Corps across the country. Honorees are chosen through a competitive nomination and review process.
Since 2005, The Corps Network has presented the Corpsmember of the Year Award to more than 110 young adults who have demonstrated leadership skills, perseverance, personal growth, and a commitment to helping others. Member organizations of The Corps Network annually engage roughly 22,000 young people and veterans in national service projects across the country. The Corpsmembers of the Year are individuals who stand out among their peers, went above and beyond during their service, and represent the potential that young people have when given resources to succeed. They are role models who translated their Corps experience into further opportunities for growth and learning. The Corps Network is recognizing three 2026 Corpsmembers of the Year: Tiana Cachini, AmeriCorps alumna of Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps; Sandra Paola Hernandez Jacinto, AmeriCorps alumna of the California Conservation Corps; and Stefaun Somerville, AmeriCorps alumnus of Green City Force.
The Project of the Year Award is presented to Corps that have undertaken especially impactful, challenging, or innovative endeavors. Projects of the Year are noteworthy for their ability to provide both a positive experience for Corpsmembers and meaningful outcomes for the community or our public lands. Projects of the year often help Corpsmembers gain new skills and experiences; help communities address pressing challenges; and help the given Corps organization expand their knowledge, partnerships, and programmatic offerings. The Corps Network is recognizing two 2026 Projects of the Year: Rebuilding Community and Hope: Rapid Response to July 4th Floods – a project of American YouthWorks; and Fire Recovery Response, Palisades and Eaton Fires – a project of Los Angeles Conservation Corps and partner Corps.
“I am deeply inspired by the impactful work Corps and Corpsmembers do every day to make our communities and public lands stronger. The winners of the 2026 Corpsmember and Project of the Year Awards are exceptional for their contributions to our country. Now, more than ever – as we face a time of increased polarization– it is critical to elevate stories, like those of our awardees, that demonstrate the importance of service to others,” said Mary Ellen Sprenkel, President and CEO of The Corps Network. “We received many compelling award nominations this year; it is always extremely challenging to select the winners. Congratulations to the 2026 Corpsmembers and Projects of the Year – we look forward to celebrating you. Your accomplishments are a reminder that national service is an exceptional tool to bring people together, invest in the next generation, and get work done.”
To reduce barriers to participation, The Corps Network 2026 National Conference – #CorpsCon26 – will take place entirely online on the afternoons of March 24 and 25 (Eastern Time). The Conference is a gathering of hundreds of national, state, and local leaders in the fields of workforce development, national service, and conservation. The 2026 awardees will be recognized during the event. The Corps Network will also host an Advocacy Action Summit in Washington, DC, May 5-6. The 2026 honorees will be formally awarded during a ceremony at the Action Summit. Registration for both #CorpsCon26 and the Advocacy Action Summit will open in early February 2026. More information will be published here.
Read about our 2026 honorees below. Short stories about all the 2026 nominees can be found here for Projects of the Year and here for Corpsmembers of the Year.
2025 Corpsmembers of the Year

Tiana Cachini
AmeriCorps Alumna
Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps (CO)
Tiana Cachini’s 52-week AmeriCorps term with Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps (ALCC) tasked her with the creation of a Geographical Information System (GIS) resource that would incorporate and highlight Tribal nations associated with the Old Spanish National Historic Trail. She learned to use ArcGIS Online, a platform she had no prior experience with before joining the Corps, and successfully created a GIS resource and more. One of her crowning achievements was the successful initiation of a respectful partnership with the Pueblo of Zuni. She collaborated closely with two members of the Zuni Cultural Resource Advisory Team to amplify Indigenous voices by documenting and sharing community stories. She also formed closer relationships with cultural organizations, including the Zuni Royalty Organization (ZRO). Tiana worked with them to apply for 501(c)(3) status and was successful in gaining the licensure. Tiana now serves on ZRO’s board of directors as their Secretary and Treasurer and is preparing to welcome her first child in December 2025. Read more.
Sandra
Paola Hernandez Jacinto
AmeriCorps Alumna
California Conservation Corps (CA)
Sandra Paola Hernandez Jacinto joined the California Conservation Corps (CCC) with the goal of becoming an emergency dispatcher while balancing full-time studies at Fresno City College and a full-time job as a fast-food manager. After learning about the CCC from a coworker, she took a chance on the program, and when her first attempt to join the wildland firefighter program was unsuccessful, she persisted by completing natural resource conservation projects, earning numerous certifications, and advancing through two promotions from Corpsmember to Specialist to Crew Leader. On her second attempt, Sandra successfully completed fire crew training and became a lead sawyer, distinguishing herself as one of the CCC’s most accomplished Corpsmembers. Recognized statewide for her focus, attention to detail, and eagerness to learn, Sandra has also served as Vice President of the Corpsmember Advisory Board and now as Recreation Coordinator for the CCC Fresno Center. She plans to complete her associate’s degree and continue pursuing her goal of becoming a CAL FIRE dispatcher to serve her community. Read more.
Stefaun Somerville
AmeriCorps Alumnus
Green City Force (NY)
Joining Green City Force (GCF) transformed Stefaun Somerville’s confidence and leadership. Though naturally introverted, Stefaun pushed himself to grow over two service terms and emerged as a standout leader who guided his team to a record-breaking 4,500-pound harvest on a 3/4-acre farm–the highest yield across all six EcoHub sites. He also helped achieve GCF’s first-ever 100% graduation rate for a cohort of nine Corpsmembers. Stefaun led tool-safety workshops, cultivated 38 different crops, and operated a weekly farm stand that distributed free produce to more than 120 families in a food desert. His commitment to addressing food insecurity earned him an invitation to the 2025 Environmental Advocates New York Advocate Awards. Now completing the final months of his service term while finishing college and motivated with the long-term goals of advancing food justice and strengthening his community through urban agriculture, Stefaun is using his AmeriCorps Education Award to support his studies and plans to pursue trade school opportunities. Read more.
2025 Projects of the Year
Rebuilding Community and Hope: Rapid Response to July 4th Floods
American YouthWorks (TX)
After flash flooding devastated parts of Texas on July 4, 2025, American YouthWorks Texas Conservation Corps (AYW-CC) quickly mobilized to support both immediate and ongoing disaster relief efforts. About 50 AYW-CC Corpsmembers assisted with volunteer coordination, donation management and distribution, mucking and gutting homes, saw work, hazardous tree removal, and debris clearing, distributing more than 100,000 pounds of donations and directly supporting over 700 flood-affected individuals. Their continued long-term response has accelerated community recovery and led to a formal MOU with local and state emergency response partners, reflecting the professionalism and care Corpsmembers brought to their service. For impacted communities, Corpsmembers provided critical assistance, hope, and human connection during a devastating time, while Corpsmembers themselves gained valuable certifications, work experience, and a renewed sense of purpose–many describing the response as a defining moment in their service and lives. Read more.
Palisades and Eaton Fire Recovery

Los Angeles Conservation Corps and partner Corps (CA)
Following the catastrophic Eaton and Palisades Fires in January 2025 that killed more than two dozen people and destroyed over 16,000 structures in Los Angeles County, the Los Angeles Conservation Corps (LACC) joined multiple California state agencies and six partner Corps to deploy more than 70 Corpsmembers and 11 staff for an extended watershed protection mission. Over several weeks, Corpsmembers worked to stabilize burned hillsides, reduce post-fire flooding and debris-flow risks, and protect nearby communities and habitats by installing erosion-control systems, clearing storm drains, removing debris and hazardous trees, and reinforcing watershed defenses ahead of incoming storms. Prior to deployment, Corpsmembers completed extensive training, including 24-hour HAZWOPER certification, OSHA safety courses, and hands-on instruction from agencies such as Cal OES, CAL FIRE, and Caltrans. Their efforts resulted in over 82,000 linear feet of straw wattles installed, thousands of sandbags placed, multiple storm drains cleared, and nearly 200 structures protected. The scale, duration, and level of interagency coordination made this deployment unique, positioning LACC as a reliable partner in statewide emergency response efforts. Read more.
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The Corps Network
The Corps Network is the National Association of Service and Conservation Corps, founded in 1985. Representing 150 Corps programs nationwide, TCN supports organizations that provide young adults and veterans ages 16-35 with transformative service opportunities on public lands and in communities. Corps participants gain valuable work experience, develop in-demand skills, receive compensation, and often earn education awards while completing projects that address conservation and community needs. TCN advances programs through advocacy, funding access, project opportunities, and operational expertise, enabling 22,000 young people and veterans annually to strengthen communities, improve the environment, and transform their lives through service-based workforce development.
Media Contact
Hannah Traverse
Director of Communications, The Corps Network
htraverse@corpsnetwork.org
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