Office of Research and Evaluation

AmeriCorps Member Exit Survey

The AmeriCorps Member Exit Survey (MES) captures AmeriCorps members’ insights about their service experience and attitudes 

upon exiting their programs. Over 350,000 members across the three AmeriCorps service streams (AmeriCorps State and National, 

AmeriCorps VISTA, and AmeriCorps NCCC) have completed the MES since April 2015. 

108 total questions comprise the MES and fall into four “pathways” (areas of member development towards becoming empowered 

and prepared citizens) and five “domains” (other topics of interest that do not fall into one of four pathways) that articulate 

AmeriCorps’ theory of change for its members.

Pathways

Civic

Engagement

• Participation in civic activities

• Discussion of how political, social, local,

 or national issues affect the community

• Trust in people and institutions 

• Voter registration and voting in last 

 presidential election

• Competence for civic action

• Community attachment

Life and Career Skills

• Leadership, problem-solving, 

 communication, and collaboration skills

• Perceptions on how one’s service 

 impacted the community and personal 

growth

• AmeriCorps service as a worthwhile 

 and defining personal and/or 

 professional experience

Getting Things Done

• Belief in one’s ability to respond 

to challenges and adversity

• Belief in one’s capacity to identify 

solutions to arising issues

• Personal initiative and self-efficacy

Bridging Differences

• Respect of values and differences of 

people from different cultures and 

 backgrounds

• Enjoyment from interacting with 

people from different cultures and 

backgrounds

• Confidence when interacting with 

people from different cultures and 

backgrounds

Domains

Describing 

Member Experience

• Focus areas of an 

individual’s service 

• Connectedness to 

one’s AmeriCorps

 service

Satisfaction 

with Experience

• Satisfaction with 

AmeriCorps service

• Recommendation of 

AmeriCorps service to 

family or friends

Motivation 

 to Join

• Reason for joining 

AmeriCorps

Post-Service 

Plans

• Plans for using 

AmeriCorps education 

award

• Education, workforce, 

and service plans after 

AmeriCorps 

• Plans for listing 

AmeriCorps experience 

on resume

Training

• Adequacy of training, 

resources, supervision, 

and supports

• Training on how to 

 describe AmeriCorps 

 experience

About the Office of Research and Evaluation: The AmeriCorps Office of Research and Evaluation assists AmeriCorps and its partners in collecting, 

analyzing, and disseminating data and insights about AmeriCorps programs and civic life in America.

About AmeriCorps: AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, provides opportunities for Americans to serve their country 

domestically, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, improve lives and communities, and strengthen civic engagement. Each year, the agency places 

more than 200,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in intensive service roles; and empowers millions more to serve as long-term, 

short-term, or one-time volunteers. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov. 

Produced and published at U.S. taxpayer expense.