18 Organizations Join ServiceNation in Historic Campaign to Inspire Young Americans to Serve Through Popular Culture
[Washington, D.C.] – The Corps Network is one of eighteen of the country’s leading service organizations coming together tomorrow to announce their involvement in a campaign, led by ServiceNation, to connect content creators in Hollywood with AmeriCorps members serving in communities across the country. The campaign aims to inspire millions of Americans to serve by enlisting the voices of prominent leaders from both political parties, the entertainment industry, digital partners, major companies, leading nonprofits, and AmeriCorps alumni. The ultimate goal is simple, but ambitious: We envision a day when young Americans turn to each other and ask, “Where will your year of national service be?”
In the coming months, Americans interested in a year of service will be able to visit the campaign website, www.serveAyear.org. On that site, they will learn about how AmeriCorps programs are tackling some of our nation’s toughest problems — from disaster relief and veteran reintegration to college access and childhood nutrition — and the organizations that are on the ground doing the work. The campaign breaks these issue areas down to nine “Pillars” and has details on how someone could get involved by serving a year.
The Corps Network has partnered with YouthBuild USA to lead the Opportunity Youth pillar, providing the stories and faces of AmeriCorps members who empower young leaders.
“Service is a powerful and effective tool for reengaging disadvantaged and disconnected youth and putting them on a career pathway. Every day, the 100+ member programs of The Corps Network, like YouthBuild, provide second chances through service to thousands of young people. We are grateful for this opportunity to promote service as a strategy for helping Opportunity Youth.” said Mary Ellen Sprenkel, President and CEO of The Corps Network. “We are also excited about the possibility of aligning this initiative with the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps initiative, which is currently being implemented by the federal land management agencies. Like the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930, 21CSC engages unemployed youth and young adults in service to restore, protect, and conserve our public lands and natural resources.”
In addition to The Corps Network, the campaign will also highlight other opportunities to serve including:
- Responding after a disaster with Rebuilding Together and St. Bernard Project
- Fighting poverty with Habitat for Humanity and LIFT
- Creating a healthier America with FoodCorps and National Health Corps
- Building lifelong readers with Reading Partners and Reading Corps
- Inspiring students’ interest in STEM with Citizen Schools and FIRST
- Helping students succeed with College Possible, City Year, and Playworks
- Teaching with Teach For America
- Empowering veterans with Vet Corps
- Along with the campaign’s National Strategic Partner, AmeriCorps Alums
This past November, ServiceNation, Next Generation, and the Clinton Foundation co-hosted a conversation with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Clinton Foundation Vice Chair Chelsea Clinton, ServiceNation Executive Director Zach Maurin, and Next Generation co-founder James Steyer about how Hollywood could raise awareness for national service and early childhood education. Actor and director Rob Reiner moderated the expert panel before an audience that included some of the entertainment industry’s biggest players including Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes, the award-winning actor and creator of Girls, Lena Dunham, and Producers Guild President and Criminal Minds Executive Producer, Mark Gordon.
Over the next three years, ServiceNation will continue to meet with entertainment companies and TV show executives in hopes that they will integrate powerful stories of service by AmeriCorps members into scripts of their shows. Only two weeks ago, AmeriCorps was mentioned in an episode of HBO’s True Detective, a direct result of this effort. In the coming months, the campaign plans to roll out other partnerships with humorous digital platforms, YouTube stars, social-minded brands, athletes, celebrities, and more successful integrations that will help tell the story of national service in America.
About The Corps Network
The Corps Network is the voice of the nation’s 127 Service and Conservation Corps. Currently operating in every state and the District of Columbia, Corps annually enroll more than 27,000 young men and women in service every year. Each year Corps mobilize an additional 289,000 community volunteers who work alongside Corpsmembers to generate 638,684 additional hours of service every year, at an estimated value of $14,140,463. For more information, visit corpsnetwork.org or contact Levi Novey at [email protected] or 202.737.6272.
About Service Nation
This campaign will build on the work ServiceNation has done over the last six years. With a coalition of nearly 400 organizations, a membership of 140,000+ individuals, and a field team, ServiceNation seeks to take the national service movement to the next level through an unprecedented cultural campaign that will inspire Americans and expand opportunities for Americans in national service. Learn more at www.servicenation.org.
Media Contact:
Levi Novey
The Corps Network
1100 G Street, NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202.737.6272
Fax: 202.737.6277
Email: [email protected]