March 27, 2024 – Service Year Alliance - a leading national service organization dedicated to making a service year a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans - announces a renewed strategy aimed at catalyzing new investments and innovations to make service years an integral part of growing up in America. With nearly a decade of steadfast commitment to this vision, Service Year Alliance is doubling efforts to make service years more accessible through innovations tied to the corps member experience and opportunities for individuals after their service, and by unlocking additional federal and state resources to grow the number of positions available each year.
"Service years have a transformative impact on both those who serve and the communities in which they serve," said Kristen Bennett, CEO of Service Year Alliance. "Our nation is facing continued unmet needs and growing societal divides that demand bold solutions. By expanding our efforts to develop innovations that enhance the service experience and increase resources supporting service years, we can enable the next generation to meet these needs and truly make service a part of what it means to grow up in America."
This renewed strategy from Service Year Alliance comes at a critical inflection point for the field of national service. Earlier this month, the Biden Administration released their FY2025 budget request - which included important advancements for national service, but ultimately will lead to less opportunities to serve through AmeriCorps. To counter potential cuts, Service Year Alliance’s strategy centers on the most critical aspect of growing national service - unlocking diverse resources within states and across the federal government to support service year opportunities – bolstering the critical investments already made in AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, YouthBuild, conservation corps, and more.
Against the backdrop of federal funding shortages, states across the country are making historical investments in service years. With efforts already underway in states like California, Service Year Alliance will leverage its policy expertise, networks, and platforms to help local leaders expand service to address pressing challenges in their communities with the support of coalitions of service stakeholders. At the federal level, the Service Year Alliance team is working with policymakers on a whole-of-government approach to service - supporting interagency partnerships modeled after FEMA Corps and Public Health AmeriCorps - with a focus on advancing the growth of the American Climate Corps.
For years, the national service movement has focused greatly on measuring community impact, without developing a clear understanding of the transformative impacts of service years on the lives of those who serve. This includes data on the development of job-ready skills, stronger career pathways from service, and how corps members use service to bridge societal divides. Through collection of this critical data on those who serve, Service Year Alliance will strengthen the case for increased investment in national service and attract new champions to support the movement.
"As we work to identify and unlock new resources for service, our team of national service experts is innovating across the service year field - in climate, workforce development, bridging divides, and alumni engagement," emphasized Bennett. "By enhancing the service year experience, we’ll create stronger career pathways for and engage corps members across the country in strengthening our civic fabric through bridge-building skill development and practices. We will work with our network of service year alums, lifting up their voices and demonstrating how service has impacted their own lives - including through a first-of-its-kind awards program.”
"As we unveil our renewed strategy to innovate and expand service years, we invite partners, policymakers, and stakeholders to join us in making service years a part of growing up in America," added Bennett. "Together, we can unlock the full potential of national service to bridge divides and address the pressing challenges facing our nation."
