The Corps Network Celebrates One-Millionth AmeriCorps Member this Week as New Program Year Begins for The Corps Network’s AmeriCorps Education Awards Program and Opportunity Youth Service Initiative
AmeriCorps Members inducted this week, including those in The Corps Network’s Education Awards Program (EAP) and Opportunity Youth Service Initiative (OYSI), are part of the cohort that includes the one-millionth AmeriCorps member
WASHINGTON, DC (October 7, 2016) – The Corps Network is pleased to announce that this week, which marks the induction of the one-millionth AmeriCorps member, is the beginning of a new program year for The Corps Network’s AmeriCorps-funded Education Awards Program (EAP) and Opportunity Youth Service Initiative (OYSI). Over the course of this program year (October 1, 2016 – September 30, 2017), the EAP and OYSI grants will support over 3,400 AmeriCorps positions at 40 member organizations of The Corps Network.
The Corps Network has been a National Direct AmeriCorps Grantee since the year 2000. Over the past 16 years, The Corps Network has managed grants that supported over 48,700 AmeriCorps members at Service and Conservation Corps across the country. The EAP and OYSI programs have respectively existed since 2000 and 2013. In June of this year, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) awarded The Corps Network two AmeriCorps National Direct grants to continue these programs.
EAP is the largest AmeriCorps program The Corps Network administers. It has so far supported over 44,000 AmeriCorps positions at member organizations of The Corps Network. During the 2016 – 2017 program year, the EAP grant will support 2,670 AmeriCorps members at over 65 Operating Sites of 41 member Corps.
The EAP Corpsmembers will work on Environmental Stewardship projects in hundreds of communities across more than 30 states. Corpsmembers will be responsible for improving 30,000 acres of public land, 1,550 miles of trails and waterways, and collecting 1,700 tons of recycling. In addition, these members, many of whom are Opportunity Youth, will be provided educational and economic opportunities and will leverage an additional 5,500 volunteers.
Upon successful completion of their term of service, EAP members are eligible to receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award (scholarship) that can be used for future educational endeavors or to repay student loans. Corpsmembers serving during the 2015 – 2016 program year were eligible to receive up to $5,730.
The organizations receiving EAP funding through The Corps Network are (showing state where Corps is based):
ADVOCAP Fresh Start (WI)
American Conservation Experience (AZ)
American YouthWorks (TX)
California Conservation Corps (CA)
Christodora (NY)
Citizens Conservation Corps (WV)
Civicorps (CA)
Community Training Works (FL)
Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa (MN)
Conservation Corps of North Bay (CA)
Conservation Legacy (CO)
Fresno Local Conservation Corps (CA)
GLISTEN (DC)
Great Basin Institute/Nevada Conservation Corps (NV)
Great Lakes Community Conservation Corps (WI)
Greater Miami Service Corps (FL)
Green Mountain Club (VT)
Headwaters Youth Conservation Corps (NY)
Heart of Oregon Corps (OR)
Kupu – Hawaii Youth Conservation Corps (HI)
Louisiana Greencorps (LA)
Los Angeles Conservation Corps (CA)
Maine Conservation Corps (ME)
Michigan Civilian Conservation Corps (MI)
New York – New Jersey Trail Conference (NJ)
Northern Bedrock Historic Preservation Corps (MN)
Northwest Youth Corps (OR)
Onondaga Earth Corps (NY)
Orange County Conservation Corps (CA)
Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (CO)
Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps (CA)
Sequoia Conservation Corps (CA)
SEEDS (MI)
Utah Conservation Corps (UT)
Virginia State Parks Youth Conservation Corps (VA)
Washington Conservation Corps (WA)
WisCorps (WI)
Youth Conservation Corps (IL)
Since its creation in 2013, the OYSI grant has supported over 1,500 AmeriCorps positions at member organizations of The Corps Network. The OYSI is designed to engage diverse youth and young adults (primarily ages 16 – 24 years old) from disadvantaged backgrounds in environmental stewardship projects that promote energy efficiency in low-income housing and improve access to public lands. Through their participation in the program, Corpsmembers connect with educational opportunities, develop valuable job skills and are exposed to various career options.
Over the next three years of the grant cycle that began October 1st, the OYSI will engage over 2,000 opportunity youth in environmental service. For the 2016 – 2017 program year, the grant will support over 740 AmeriCorps members at 15 Corps operating across 17 states. The Corps that will receive AmeriCorps funding through The Corps Network to operate the OYSI are:
American YouthWorks (TX)
Civic Works (MD)
Conservation Legacy (AZ, CO, NM)
Great Lakes Community Conservation Corps (WI)
Greater Miami Service Corps (FL)
Green City Force (NY)
Limitless Vistas, Inc. (LA)
Milwaukee Community Service Corps (WI)
Northwest Youth Corps (OR, ID, WA)
Operation Fresh Start (WI)
SEEDS (MI)
The Sustainability Institute (SC)
Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (NC, VT)
Western Colorado Conservation Corps (CO)
Youth Conservation Corps (IL)
During the first program year of the grant, OYSI AmeriCorps members will be responsible for improving 6,000 acres of public lands; creating and improving 430 miles of trails; and increasing the energy efficiency of 1,305 housing units and public structures. During the first grant year, 100 percent of Corpsmembers will obtain work-readiness (soft) and technical (hard) skills, and learn how to pursue jobs; 80 percent will obtain industry-recognized credentials; and 50 percent of Corpsmembers entering the program without a GED or High School Diploma will attain one. In addition, the AmeriCorps members will engage an additional 2,645 volunteers on public land and trail projects.
“The Corps Network is proud to be a National AmeriCorps Direct Grantee and help make community and environmental service opportunities available for thousands of young people and veterans across the country,” said Mary Ellen Sprenkel, CEO of The Corps Network. “We are thrilled to help celebrate the enrollment of the one-millionth AmeriCorps member and honored to have helped administer the funding to support nearly 50,000 members over the years. AmeriCorps is an invaluable program, particularly for what it can offer to America’s opportunity youth. Through national service programs, young people from disadvantaged backgrounds become change-makers for their communities. We hope to be a part of helping AmeriCorps reach its two-millionth member.”
AmeriCorps engages more than 75,000 members in intensive service annually to serve through nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations at more than 21,000 locations across the country. These members help communities tackle pressing problems while mobilizing millions of volunteers for the organizations they serve.
Since 1994, AmeriCorps members have given more than 1.4 billion hours of service to their country, earning more than $3.3 billion in education scholarships. On Friday, October 7, 2016, AmeriCorps will celebrate the induction of its one-millionth member in a ceremony at the headquarters of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in Washington, DC.
About The Corps Network
The Corps Network provides leadership and support to over 130 of America’s Service and Conservation Corps. Through advocacy, access to funding opportunities and expert guidance, The Corps Network annually enables over 24,000 Corpsmembers, ages 16-25, to strengthen communities, improve the environment and transform their lives through service.
To learn more about The Corps Network, please visit www.corpsnetwork.org.
Media Contact:
Hannah Traverse
The Corps Network
1275 K Street, NW – Suite 1050
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202.737.6272
Email: [email protected]