Federal AmeriCorps dollars will place 3,000 members in service throughout Minnesota.
MINNEAPOLIS – July 21, 2021 – ServeMinnesota has received $33,682,424 in grants from AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and community volunteerism. ServeMinnesota is the state commission which administers the funds to 20 programs statewide, including two new programs this year. These grants will support more than 3,000 AmeriCorps members in Minnesota who will partner with nonprofit, community and faith-based organizations across the state. Members will support their communities in the areas of education, economic development, substance use disorder recovery, housing, and the environment.
New programs:
- Heading Home Corps – engaging a team of Housing Resource Navigators to help Minnesotans work towards safe and stable housing.
- Older Adults Independent Living – providing companionship and respite care services in partnership with nonprofit and public agencies in Minnesota.
Continuing programs:
- Bright Beginnings – bringing early literacy support to children birth to age five in family child care centers.
- City of Lakes AmeriCorps – supporting middle school long-term English learners in developing the academic language skills they need to succeed in school.
- Climate Change Mitigation Corps – preserving and increasing Minnesota’s tree canopy and educating renters and homeowners to encourage energy efficiency.
- College Possible – bridging the opportunity gap to help low-income and first-generation high school and college students to access and succeed in higher education.
- Community Technology Empowerment Project (CTEP) – teaching youth and adults how to use technology to access civic, educational and economic opportunities.
- Conservation Corps Minnesota – natural resource management and renewable energy activities.
- Law Enforcement Career Path Academy – building positive connections between the St. Paul Police Department and community while launching your law enforcement career.
- Lead For Minnesota – placing AmeriCorps members in rural Minnesota to support community revitalization.
- Learning Early Achieves Potential – LEAP AmeriCorps – providing social-emotional learning support in preschool classrooms.
- Minnesota Alliance With Youth – Promise Fellows – keeping youth engaged in learning by providing in- and out-of-school supports to 6th-12th graders at risk of dropping out.
- Minnesota GreenCorps – improving Minnesota’s environment while gaining experience and a network for careers in the field.
- Minnesota Math Corps – tutoring 4th-8th graders to catch up to grade level in math.
- Minnesota Opportunity Corps – helping new Americans and low-income adults navigate to stable careers that pay a livable wage.
- Minnesota Reading Corps – helping students prepare for Kindergarten and become better, more confident readers by the end of 3rd grade.
- Minnesota Recovery Corps – supporting youth and adults in sustaining their recovery from opioid addiction and other substance use disorders.
- Total Learning Classroom – building capacity in schools to deliver equitable support in classrooms with a focus on literacy.
- True North AmeriCorps – providing academic, social, and emotional support to youth in the Duluth area.
- Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity – building, rehabbing, and repairing homes in partnership with community volunteers and low-income families in the Twin Cities.
Many programs are now accepting applications for the 2021-22 program year. Those interested in joining AmeriCorps can learn more by filling out our contact form.
The Sanneh Foundation also received a planning grant to design an AmeriCorps program that will use culturally responsive mentorship with youth grades K-12 in support to students of color and other underserved students most in need of enhanced academic mediation and greater culturally specific social-emotional support.
AmeriCorps will provide an additional $14 million 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 $6,345 that they can use to pay for college or to pay off student loans. Members age 55+ can transfer the award to their child, step-, grand-, or foster-child.
For the past year, thousands of AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors members across all 50 states and U.S. territories have continued their service, quickly adapting to meet the changing needs caused by the pandemic. Dedicated members have persisted to support communities as they respond and recover from the impact of COVID-19, developing new ways to deliver the same services to keep both themselves and those they serve safe. In April 2020, ServeMinnesota launched the short-term Emergency Response Initiative to support local organizations with increased demand during the pandemic. Currently, nearly 600 members are serving with the summer program through August 2021.
The recently passed American Rescue Plan includes an additional $1 billion for AmeriCorps. The agency will use this investment to expand national service programs into new communities and increase the opportunity for all Americans to serve their country.
As the federal agency for volunteering and service, AmeriCorps brings people together to tackle the county’s most pressing challenges. Since the agency’s inception in 1994, nearly 1.2 million AmeriCorps members have served the nation.
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About ServeMinnesota
ServeMinnesota creates positive social change by deploying the people power of AmeriCorps to translate research into on-the-ground implementation. Each year, thousands of individuals commit to transformative service opportunities focused on improving the lives of Minnesotans through education, affordable housing, employment, the environment, addiction recovery and response to the COVID-19 crisis. Two of its innovative strategic initiatives, Minnesota Reading Corps and Minnesota Math Corps, demonstrate speed to implementation in their work to close the achievement gap and help struggling students become successful learners. By leveraging federal dollars, building strong community partnerships, and continually improving programs, ServeMinnesota ensures national service is positioned to make meaningful contributions to our state. For more information, visit www.serveminnesota.org.
