The Power of Service Years:
A Better You. A Greater Us.
Service years have the power to revitalize cities, uplift and educate children at risk, and empower communities to address pressing challenges. They can unite the most diverse nation in history, binding people of different backgrounds through common cause. They give young people an opportunity to develop leadership and professional skills, make an impact on the lives of others, and become the leaders our nation needs.
The U.S. has more than a half century of experience with service year programs like the Peace Corps, VISTA, AmeriCorps, Youth Service and Conservation Corps, and YouthBuild. This experience demonstrates that:
National service solves problems.
In 2017, 2,000 AmeriCorps members from all 50 states were deployed to Texas, Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands in response to hurricanes.
Students tutored by Reading Corps AmeriCorps members increase their reading levels, saving millions in special education and academic remediation costs.
AmeriCorps Urban Safety corps members reduced crime in midtown Detroit by more than 50%.
Youth corps conduct energy audits and weatherize homes, reducing energy usage by millions of kWh per year and saving low-income residents hundreds of dollars annually.
National service helps young people of all backgrounds advance on career and college pathways.
National service is backed by over 600 “Employers of National Service” who highly value the skills individuals gain during their service.
200 higher education institutions match the AmeriCorps education award because they value the national service experience.
- 79% say that their service year was a defining professional experience.
74% of YouthBuild graduates earn a GED or high school diploma through the program and more than half go on to further education or employment.
- AmeriCorps alumni are more likely to attain a bachelor’s or graduate degree than the average American adult.
National service develops better citizens.
9 out of 10 AmeriCorps alums report that their service year experience improved their ability to solve problems, and 8 out of 10 report that if they were confronted with a community issue, they could develop a plan to address it and get others to care.
YouthBuild increases social trust and community orientation among the low-income youth who serve in the program.
- AmeriCorps, YouthBuild, and Peace Corps alumni vote and volunteer throughout their lives at higher rates than their peers.
National service is a cost-effective investment.
Every federal dollar invested in AmeriCorps is matched by more than two dollars from donations and in-kind support from other sources, including business and philanthropy.
- Federal agencies can use national service to perform service that aligns with agency missions at a low cost, like FEMA Corps, which is estimated to save $60 million annually.