On July 24, Serve Washington announced that Communities In Schools of Washington was awarded $363,300 in AmeriCorps funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency responsible for AmeriCorps and other national service programs.
This grant will put 25 AmeriCorps members on the ground to serve with nine of our local Communities In Schools affiliate organizations. AmeriCorps members will tackle some of the toughest problems in Washington including helping students to stay in school and remain on track to graduate. AmeriCorps members who will provide a mix of school-wide and individualized supports to students at risk of school failure through the coordination and delivery of school-based services. Click here to learn more about being an AmeriCorps member with Communities In Schools of Washington.
CNCS will provide an additional $148,000 in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards for the AmeriCorps members funded by these grants. After completing a full term of service, AmeriCorps members receive an award of approximately $6,000 that they can use to pay for college or to pay off student loans.
Every year, 75,000 AmeriCorps members serve through 21,000 schools, nonprofits, and community and faith-based organizations across the country. These citizens have played a critical role in the recovery of communities affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. They also tutor and mentor young people, connect veterans to jobs, care for seniors, reduce crime and revive cities, fight the opioid epidemic, and meet other critical needs.
Since 1994, AmeriCorps members have provided more than 1.4 billion hours of service and earned more than $3.6 billion in education scholarships, more than $1 billion of which has been used to pay back student debt. Those interested in joining AmeriCorps can learn more at AmeriCorps.gov/Join.
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is the federal agency for volunteering, service, and civic engagement. The agency engages millions of Americans in citizen service through its AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs and leads the nation’s volunteering and service efforts. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.