What is AmeriCorps?
AmeriCorps is one stream of National Service, initiated in 1994 by President Clinton, and often referred to as the “domestic Peace Corps.” AmeriCorps is funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service and provides thousands of Americans of all ages and backgrounds with Education Awards in exchange for community service. Nationally, over 150,000 AmeriCorps members have helped to meet the nation’s critical needs in the areas of public safety, education, human needs, and the environment.
AmeriCorps is known as the “domestic Peace Corps.” Participants – known as AmeriCorps members – perform a year of service with a program focused on meeting local community needs. AmeriCorps programs focus on the five issues of education, the environment, public safety, homeland security and other human needs. Individual programs recruit and train their own members with funding from an AmeriCorps grant. Serve Idaho AmeriCorps grants provide funding for member living allowances, health benefits, childcare (for eligible members), AmeriCorps program staff, training, evaluation and other program operating costs. Members also receive an educational award directly from the federal Corporation for National and Community Service. Return to top of page.
AmeriCorps is an opportunity to make a big difference in your life and in the lives of those around you. It’s a chance to apply your skills and ideals toward helping others and meeting critical needs in the community. Each year, AmeriCorps offers 75,000 opportunities for adults of all ages and backgrounds to serve through a network of partnerships with local and national nonprofit groups such as Rebuilding Together. The Rebuilding Together’s AmeriCorps program, called the Rebuilding Together CapacityCorps is a high-impact national AmeriCorps program of 44 AmeriCorps members that will build the capacity of grassroots nonprofits through volunteer recruitment, client outreach, and direct repairs for low-income homeowners, new project implementation, community partnership development and program expansion. The Rebuilding Together CapacityCorps is a real-life education and work experience wrapped into one. As a CapacityCorps member, you will learn teamwork, leadership, responsibility and ot
AmeriCorps is a national service network that engages more than 70,000 Americans in service each year. AmeriCorps programs include Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) and the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC). Equal Justice Works has partnered with AmeriCorps to create the Summer Corps program, giving law students the opportunity to spend their summer gaining skills and experience while serving communities in critical need of legal services. For more information on the AmeriCorps national service network, visit www.americorps.gov.
