The Corps Network Receives More than $5.6 Million in AmeriCorps National Direct Grant Awards to Continue Education Awards Program (EAP) and Opportunity Youth Service Initiative (OYSI)
Over the coming program year, EAP and OYSI will engage more than 3,600 AmeriCorps members in environmental stewardship projects, giving them the opportunity to collectively earn over $9.1 million in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards. The Corps Network also received an Affiliate AmeriCorps grant to continue the Summer Opportunity AmeriCorps program for youth as young as 14.
WASHINGTON, DC (June 22, 2017) – The Corps Network is pleased to announce the receipt of $5.6 million in AmeriCorps State and National grant awards from the Corporation of National and Community Service (CNCS). These funds will support the continuation of The Corps Network’s AmeriCorps Education Awards Program (EAP) and Opportunity Youth Service Initiative (OYSI). Over the course of the coming program year (October 1, 2017 – September 30, 2018), the EAP and OYSI programs will engage more than 3,600 youth, young adults and veterans at nearly 50 organizations of The Corps Network. These AmeriCorps members will have the opportunity to collectively earn over $9.1 million in Education Awards.
EDUCATION AWARDS PROGRAM (EAP)
The Corps Network has been a National Direct AmeriCorps Grantee since the year 2000. Over the past 17 years, The Corps Network has managed grants that supported nearly 50,000 AmeriCorps members at Service and Conservation Corps across the country. Started in 2000, the EAP is the largest AmeriCorps program The Corps Network administers. During the 2017 – 2018 program year – the final year of a 3-year grant cycle – the EAP will support 2,879 AmeriCorps members hosted at over 60 operating sites through the following 38 member organizations of The Corps Network (showing state where Corps is based).
American Conservation Experience (AZ)
American YouthWorks/Texas Conservation Corps (TX)
California Conservation Corps (CA)
Christodora (NY)
Citizens Conservation Corps (WV)
Civicorps (CA)
Community Training Works (FL)
Conservation Corps of Long Beach (CA)
Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa (MN)
Conservation Corps of North Bay (CA)
Conservation Legacy (CO)
Fresh Start ADVOCAP (WI)
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)
Heart of Oregon Corps (OR)
Kupu – Hawaii Youth Conservation Corps (HI)
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 Conservancy (CO)
Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (CO)
Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps (CA)
SEEDS (MI)
Sequoia Conservation Corps (CA)
Utah Conservation Corps (UT)
Virginia State Parks Conservation Corps (VA)
Washington Conservation Corps (WA)
WisCorps (WI)
Youth Conservation Corps (IL)
The EAP Corpsmembers will work on Environmental Stewardship projects in hundreds of communities across more than 33 states and the District of Columbia. Collectively, Corpsmembers will be responsible for improving 38,000 acres of public land, 2,700 miles of trails and waterways, and collecting 3,000 tons of recycling. Also, in order to gather and analyze data around environmental change, members will be responsible for mapping or monitoring 10,000 acres of land identified as degraded, highly impacted, at risk for environmental disaster, or important for public purposes. In addition, these members, many of whom are Opportunity Youth, will be provided educational and economic opportunities and will leverage an additional 3,600 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 2017 – 2018 program year will be eligible to receive f$1,230.69 to $5,815 based on length of term of service.
OPPORTUNITY YOUTH SERVICE INITIATIVE (OYSI)
Since its creation in 2013, the OYSI grant has supported over 1,900 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 three years of the current grant cycle (2016-2019), the OYSI will engage over 2,000 opportunity youth in environmental service. For the 2017 – 2018 program year, the grant will support more than 770 AmeriCorps members at the following 14 Corps operating across 16 states.
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)
Northwest Youth Corps (OR, ID, WA)
Operation Fresh Start (WI)
SEEDS (MI)
The Sustainability Institute (SC)
Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VT)
Western Colorado Conservation Corps (CO)
Youth Conservation Corps (IL)
During the coming program year, OYSI AmeriCorps members will be responsible for improving 3,000 acres of public lands; creating and improving 430 miles of trails; and increasing the energy efficiency of 1,000 housing units and public structures. Corpsmembers will obtain work-readiness (soft) and technical (hard) skills, and learn how to pursue jobs; many will obtain industry-recognized credentials; and Corpsmembers entering the program without a GED or High School Diploma will receive education services. In addition, the AmeriCorps members will engage an additional 1,840 volunteers on public land and trail projects.
SUMMER OPPORTUNITY AMERICORPS PROGRAM (SOAP)
In addition to the OYSI and EAP grants, The Corps Network received an Affiliate AmeriCorps grant, which is not attached to funding, to support a second year of the Summer Opportunity AmeriCorps Program (SOAP). Launched by CNCS in 2016, the SOAP – or AmeriCorps Affiliate program – provides youth as young as 14 the opportunity to engage in shorter terms of service (as low as 100 hours). Participants who complete their service, like other AmeriCorps members, receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award ranging from $327.38 – $1538.36, depending on the length of their service. The following nine member organizations of The Corps Network will engage nearly 440 SOAP members in environmental stewardship projects from May 1, 2017 – September 30, 2017. These AmeriCorps members will have the opportunity to collectively earn nearly $140,000 in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards.
American Conservation Experience (AZ)
American YouthWorks/Texas Conservation Corps (TX)
Conservation Legacy (AZ, CO, NM)
Greater Miami Service Corps (FL)
Montana Conservation Corps (MT)
Mt. Adams Institute (WA)
Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (CO)
Student Conservation Association (Nationwide)
Utah Conservation Corps (UT)
About The Corps Network
The Corps Network, the national association of Service and Conservation Corps, provides leadership and support to over 130 Corps across the United States. Through advocacy, and providing Corps access to funding opportunities and expert guidance, The Corps Network annually enables more than 25,000 Corpsmembers to strengthen communities, improve the environment and transform their lives through service. To learn more about The Corps Network, please visit www.corpsnetwork.org.
About AmeriCorps
Since 1994, 1 million AmeriCorps members have given more than 1.4 billion hours of service to their country, earning more than $3.3 billion in education scholarships. AmeriCorps is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that engages millions of Americans in service through AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, the Social Innovation Fund, and the Volunteer Generation Fund, and leads the President’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit www.NationalService.gov.
Media Contact:
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The Corps Network
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