Equity Agenda: Recommendations for Improving the Accessibility of National Service
Service Year Alliance believes that in order to reach our vision of making national service part of growing up in America, we must prioritize equity so that every young person is able to serve — no matter their background, race, disability status, or zipcode.
The report, Equity Agenda: Recommendations for Improving the Accessibility of National Service, outlines suggestions to make national service more equitable and accessible for potential corps members from diverse and underserved communities, as well as to increase the accessibility of AmeriCorps grantmaking for nonprofits from those communities.
National service has long been associated as an experience for the privileged few, despite its track record of offering youth of all backgrounds meaningful service experiences, unlocking pathways toward education and career opportunities. We must recommit to increasing the value proposition of service years and enhancing the corps member experience, so that national service is inclusive for all. This equity agenda lays out Service Year Alliance’s priorities to make this vision a reality.
Additional Resources on Equity in National Service
Many of the proposed solutions detailed in the equity agenda stem from Service Year Alliance’s previous public comment submissions, white papers, and from our partners’ resources, reports, and proposals, including:
- Service Year Alliance’s Public Comment to AmeriCorps on Equity
- Service Year Alliance’s Public Comment to AmeriCorps on the Criminal History Check Process
- Service Year Alliance’s Public Comment to AmeriCorps on Matching Fund Requirements
- Service Year Alliance’s White Paper to the Biden Administration: Reimagining National Service: A Roadmap to a Service Presidency
- America’s Service Commissions’s Public Comment to AmeriCorps on Equity
- The Next 100: An Equitable AmeriCorps Could Tackle the Biggest Problems Facing Our Nation
- The Next 100: Untapped Opportunity: Steps for the Biden Administration, Congress, and States to Advance Equity through AmeriCorps
- America Forward’s “Advancing Equity through National Service” Policy Proposal
With questions, additional recommendations, or to learn more about Service Year Alliance’s equity agenda, please contact Melissa Bender at [email protected].
