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## Other Youth Topics

## Breadcrumb

            -  Youth Topics 
            -  Civic Engagement 
            -           National Service      

# National Service

National service refers to programs like AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and other programs and initiatives. Participants in these programs address community needs in disaster services, economic opportunity, education, the environment, health, and veterans and military families.

## Rates

Since 1994, 1 million individuals have served 1.4 billion hours in AmeriCorps and have earned $3.3 billion of Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards. In 2015 AmeriCorps members served at 21,600 unique sites, managing or mobilizing 2.3 million community volunteers, and leveraging $1 billion worth of resources from other sources. Figure 1 shows the breakdown of 2015 AmeriCorps services.1

**FIGURE 1: AMERICORPS BY THE NUMBERS**

## Benefits for Youth

A growing body of research shows that national service has an effect on more than just communities served, but also on AmeriCorps members. Through surveying 3,772 AmeriCorps alumni, and a secure data match with the National Student Clearinghouse, the AmeriCorps Alumni Outcomes Study2 found that:
                      - AmeriCorps service is found to have a significant positive effect on civic engagement; respondents were more likely to engage in all community service activities asked about in the survey post-AmeriCorps compared to pre-AmeriCorps. There was also a positive effect seen on sense of community, cultural competency and measures of self-efficacy.
                      - The study found that AmeriCorps service had significant effects on alumni’s employment and career pathways. For example, AmeriCorps alumni are more likely to attain a bachelor’s degree or higher than the average American adult.

## Resources

**AmeriCorps**This program engages more than 80,000 Americans in intensive service each year at 21,600 unique sites including nonprofits, schools, public agencies, and community and faith-based groups across the country.

**AmeriCorps Alumni Outcomes Study**This study explores how national service experiences successfully encourage national service alumni to stay civically engaged, develop and utilize skills gained through service, and/or pursue service-oriented careers and post-secondary education and employment.

**Results from the National Student Clearinghouse Data Match: New Methods for Assessing AmeriCorps Alumni Outcomes**This report executed a data match of a sample of three cohorts of AmeriCorps alumni (who completed their last term of service in 2005, 2010, and 2013) to postsecondary enrollment and graduation records held by the National Student Clearinghouse.

**SeniorCorps**This AmeriCorps program connects today’s 55+ with the youth and youth organizations that need them most through mentoring, coaching, or companionship.

**Still Serving: Measuring the Eight-Year Impact of AmeriCorps on Alumni****(PDF, 56 pages)**This study assesses the outcomes and impacts of national and community service on individuals who serve in AmeriCorps State and National and AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps. The objective of the study is to identify the effects of AmeriCorps on members’ civic engagement and volunteering, employment and careers, educational attainment, and life satisfaction.

## References

1https://www.nationalservice.gov/impact-our-nation/evidence-exchange/AmeriCorps-Alumni-Outcomes2 AmeriCorps, 2016

## Other Resources on this Topic

### Agencies 

                          - AmeriCorps
                          - AmeriCorps

### Announcements 

                          - 2022 National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Recipients Announced
                          - Archived Webinar: Leveraging Partnerships in Planning/Hosting a Communities Talk Event
                          - National Adoption Month 2022
                          - National Crime Victims’ Rights (NCVRW) Week
                          - National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims
                          - Nationwide Pre-Apprenticeship Initiative
                          - Observance: 2023 National Veterans and Military Families Month
                          - Report: Healing Indigenous Lives: Native Youth Town Halls
                          - Reports: 2022 National Service
                          - Resource: 9/11 Service Day Public Service Announcement
                          - Resource: AmeriCorps Equity Action Plan
                          - Resource: AmeriCorps Open Data
                          - Resource: Blue Campaign College and University Toolkit on Human Trafficking
                          - Resource: Building Partnerships with Organizations
                          - Resource: Choose AmeriCorps Public Service Announcement
                          - Resource: Encouraging In-kind Contributions for Communities Talk Activities
                          - Resource: Engaging American Indian Children and Families
                          - Resource: Hispanic Heritage Month Fun Facts
                          - Resource: Intra-Agency Task Force on Reproductive Health
                          - Resource: National Veterans and Military Families Month Fact Sheet
                          - Resource: National Veterans and Military Families Month Toolkit
                          - Resource: OnTheMap for Emergency Management
                          - Resource: Probation Reform: A Toolkit for State Advisory Groups (SAGs)
                          - Resource: Test Your Knowledge on Facts About Black History Month Kahoot
                          - Resource: The AMBER Advocate, Issue 3, 2022
                          - Resource: The Surgeon General's Community Toolkit for Addressing Health Misinformation
                          - Resource: Youth Advisory Councils
                          - Resource: Youth Connections Community
                          - Resource: Youth Justice Action Month: A Message from John Legend
                          - Share with Youth: AmeriCorps NCCC Forest Corps
                          - Share with Youth: Federal Internship Portal
                          - Share with Youth: Internships at the Executive Office of the President (EOP)
                          - Share with Youth: U.S. Department of State (DOS) Student Internship Program
                          - Share with Youth: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Internships and Fellowships
                          - Toolkit: National Foster Care Month 2022 Outreach
                          - Youth Voices Have Moved to YE4C

### Collaboration Profiles 

                          - Youth ChalleNGe Program
                          - YouthGo.gov

### Feature Articles 

                          - 4-H Expands To New Audiences
                          - 4-H Members Raise Awareness of Meningitis
                          - America’s Young Adults, 2014
                          - AmeriCorps NCCC: Strengthening Communities and Developing Leaders
                          - How much do you know about...4-H and Positive Youth Development?
                          - Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C
                          - Report Shows Majority of Americans Civically Engaged in Their Communities
                          - SAMHSA’s Guidance — Strategies, Tools, and Tips for Supportive and Meaningful Youth Engagement in Federal Government-Sponsored Meetings and Events
                          - Washington State Youth Take Civic Activism To New Level

### Internships 

                          - AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC)

### Programs 

                          - Are You Ready to Make a Difference? Join Americorps.
                          - Bureau of Land Management Youth Initiatives
                          - Citizen Corps
                          - National 4-H Headquarters
                          - Passport in Time
                          - Preserve America Stewards
                          - Teen CERT: Community Emergency Response Team
                          - VA Student Volunteer Program

### Publications 

                          - Advancing Civic Learning and Engagement in Democracy
                          - America's Young Adults: Special Issue, 2014
                          - Students Transforming Schools and Communities
                          - Trends Among Young Adults Over Three Decades
                          - Volunteering and Civic Life in America 2012
                          - Volunteering and Civic Life in America 2013

### Resources 

                          - Resource: Evidence Exchange
                          - Volunteering and Civic Life in America, 2014
                          - Webinar Recording: Helping the LGBTQIA+ Community Before Disasters: Preparedness and Mitigation Considerations
                          - Youth Advisory Councils

### Technical Assistance 

                          - AmeriCorps Resource Center
                          - Archived Webinar: Using Data to Identify Programmatic Interventions

### Tools & Guides 

                          - America’s Natural and Cultural Resources Volunteer Portal: Volunteer.gov
                          - AmeriCorps: National Mentoring Month
                          - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Volunteers
                          - National Service-Learning Clearinghouse
                          - The Volunteer Clearinghouse

### Websites 

                          - United We Serve

### Youth Topics 

                          - Civic Engagement
                          - References

## Youth Briefs

How Individualized Education Program (IEP) Transition Planning Makes a Difference for Youth with Disabilities
Youth who receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) and especially young adults of transition age, should be involved in planning for life after high school as early as possible and no later than age 16. Transition services should stem from the individual youth’s needs and strengths, ensuring that planning takes into account his or her interests, preferences, and desires for the future.

Youth Transitioning to Adulthood: How Holding Early Leadership Positions Can Make a Difference
Research links early leadership with increased self-efficacy and suggests that leadership can help youth to develop decision making and interpersonal skills that support successes in the workforce and adulthood. In addition, young leaders tend to be more involved in their communities, and have lower dropout rates than their peers. Youth leaders also show considerable benefits for their communities, providing valuable insight into the needs and interests of young people

How Trained Service Professionals and Self-Advocacy Makes a Difference for Youth with Mental Health, Substance Abuse, or Co-occurring Issues
Statistics reflecting the number of youth suffering from mental health, substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders highlight the necessity for schools, families, support staff, and communities to work together to develop targeted, coordinated, and comprehensive transition plans for young people with a history of mental health needs and/or substance abuse.

Young Adults Formerly in Foster Care: Challenges and Solutions
Nearly 30,000 youth aged out of foster care in Fiscal Year 2009, which represents nine percent of the young people involved in the foster care system that year. This transition can be challenging for youth, especially youth who have grown up in the child welfare system.

Coordinating Systems to Support Transition Age Youth with Mental Health Needs
Research has demonstrated that as many as one in five children/youth have a diagnosable mental health disorder. Read about how coordination between public service agencies can improve treatment for these youth.

Civic Engagement Strategies for Transition Age Youth
Civic engagement has the potential to empower young adults, increase their self-determination, and give them the skills and self-confidence they need to enter the workforce. Read about one youth’s experience in AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).

## Main navigation

- Civic Engagement
- Volunteerism
- National Service
- Service-Learning
- References

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### Agencies

AmeriCorps Recognized for Using Evidence and Data to Invest Federal Resources in Programs that Work

AmeriCorps Recognized for Using Evidence and Data to Invest Federal Resources in Programs that Work

AmeriCorps Recognized for Using Evidence and Data to Invest Federal Resources in Programs that Work

### Announcements

Share with Youth: American Connection Corps

Share with Youth: AmeriCorps NCCC Forest Corps

Share with Youth: Become a 2024 Eclipse Ambassador

### Collaboration Profiles

Youth ChalleNGe Program

YouthGo.gov

### Feature Articles

Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C

SAMHSA’s Guidance — Strategies, Tools, and Tips for Supportive and Meaningful Youth Engagement in Federal Government-Sponsored Meetings and Events

America’s Young Adults, 2014

### Publications

Volunteering and Civic Life in America 2013

Volunteering and Civic Life in America 2012

Trends Among Young Adults Over Three Decades

### Resources

Webinar Recording: Helping the LGBTQIA+ Community Before Disasters: Preparedness and Mitigation Considerations

Youth Advisory Councils

Resource: Evidence Exchange

### Youth Topics

Civic Engagement

References