California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New York Selected for Inaugural Cohort to Strengthen & Expand Service Year Opportunities in States

WASHINGTON, DC (November 3, 2025) - Service Year Alliance today announced California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New York have been selected as the first cohort of states to receive support from the Center for State Service Innovation. Launched in September 2025 by Service Year Alliance with philanthropic backing from Carnegie Corporation of New York and Einhorn Collaborative, the Center for State Service Innovation works with state leaders nationwide to unlock non-federal resources to further strengthen and expand state-based service year programs. 

The four states in this inaugural cohort represent diverse approaches to addressing critical state needs through service years while providing young people with meaningful opportunities to help their communities and develop career-ready skills.

"The most exciting innovation in national service right now is happening at the state level," said Kristen Bennett, CEO of Service Year Alliance. "California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New York are proving that states can be both nimble and bold when it comes to expanding service opportunities. We're thrilled to partner with leaders in this inaugural cohort who share our vision for a future where service years become a common opportunity and expectation for all young Americans.”

AmeriCorps Alums Bahga Ahmed, Kelly Lee, and Daniel Nieves will join a nationwide network of Segal Fellows, hosted by The Eli J. & Phyllis S. Segal Citizen Leadership Program at Brandeis University.

WASHINGTON, DC (October 14, 2025) - Service Year Alliance today announced, in partnership with the Eli J. & Phyllis N. Segal Citizen Leadership Program, the winners of the 2025 AmeriCorps Alums Segal Leadership Award: Bahga Ahmed, Kelly Lee, and Daniel Nieves. Their selection inducts them into lifelong membership as Segal Fellows. The Segal Program, hosted by The Institute for Economic and Racial Equity at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, inspires and activates generations of civic and community leaders across sectors, issue areas, and lived experiences, including alumni of national service programs. Their lifelong Fellows are citizens of the world who uplift equitable systems and create a more just world through connection and action.

“Bahga, Kelly, and Daniel are deeply deserving of this recognition and embody the spirit of service that Eli and Phyllis Segal championed as lifelong citizen leaders,” shared Kristen Bennett, CEO of Service Year Alliance. “As AmeriCorps alums, each of the awardees brings lived experience, leadership, and a deep commitment to service that strengthens the communities they serve. Service Year Alliance is honored to celebrate their impact and proud to present this fellowship to each of them.”

Service Year Alliance today released the following statement from CEO Kristen Bennett on the government shutdown and its impact on the agencies, people, and volunteers in national service.

Service Year Alliance is monitoring the fallout of the government shutdown, including the impacts on AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps, the federal agencies most responsible for the implementation of service years.

Each federal agency is required to develop a contingency plan in the case of a government shutdown. AmeriCorps released their plan late yesterday. While AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers remain in service, more than 70% of agency staff will go on furlough. This temporary cut to agency staff follows a loss of roughly 85% of AmeriCorps’ workforce earlier this year, some of whom just recently returned to duty in recent weeks. More than 50% of Peace Corps staff will be furloughed as well, while remaining staff support the continuity of operations to ensure the health, safety, and security of currently-serving volunteers around the world.

Backed by funding from Carnegie Corporation of New York and Einhorn Collaborative, the Center for State Service Innovation will create new opportunities for young people to serve.

WASHINGTON, DC (September 16, 2025) - Service Year Alliance announced today the launch of the Center for State Service Innovation, a new initiative to strengthen and expand state-based service year programs. Launched with philanthropic support from Carnegie Corporation of New York and Einhorn Collaborative, the Center will work with local leaders to unlock new funding for service years within their states by providing technical assistance, public policy support, capacity building, and cross-state collaboration.

“As an antidote to increasing polarization, state service programs can be one of the solutions, said, Geri Mannion, Managing Director, Strengthening U.S. Democracy Program, Carnegie Corporation of New York. “We are proud to support Service Year Alliance in the creation of the Center for State Service Innovation, and work toward a future where states can leverage service years to bring young people together from across their state and their differences to work together and realize their full potential.”

A service year is a paid opportunity for people to develop real-world skills while contributing to the communities they serve. More than 60,000 young people complete a service year each year. The vast majority of service years are administered at the federal level through AmeriCorps, which over the past decade has enabled more than 1.3 million Americans to address community needs while developing workforce ready skills.

Service Year Alliance's 2025 State of Alums Report affirms that service years are a strategic investment in career readiness, civic renewal, and economic mobility.

AUGUST 26, 2025 (Washington, DC) - Service Year Alliance, a national nonprofit organization working to make a service year a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans, shared a new report today detailing the unique benefits of national service to those who serve. The 2025 Service Year Alums Survey, conducted earlier this year, and the accompanying State of Alums Report provides new evidence that service years benefit young people, our communities, and the nation. 

From February to March 2025, Service Year Alliance conducted a survey of more than 2,000 Americans who completed at least one year of paid, full-time service through service year programs like AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps. Respondents shared insights validating national service as a life-changing experience that ignites personal growth, professional success, economic mobility, and civic responsibility. 

Key findings from the survey include:

• 87% of service year alums gained skills during their service year that helped prepare them for future employment 
• 63% of alums found full-time employment within six months of completing a service year, surpassing the 57% average for new college graduates
• Alums reported gaining critical, workforce-ready skills, including adaptability (84%), communication (82%), collaboration (82%), and problem-solving (76%). 
• 91% of alums vote regularly, compared to 64% of the general population
• After service, 77% of alums reported they were likely to engage in conversations with people they disagree with, compared to just 52% before service.

Service Year Alliance announced today the recipients of the 2025 Service Year Alums Awards. The 11 honorees served at least one term in a national service program, including AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps, and displayed exceptional post-service achievement and community impact.

WASHINGTON, DC (June 12, 2025) - Service Year Alliance, a national nonprofit organization working to make a year of paid, full-time service — a service year — a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans, announced today the recipients of the 2025 Service Year Alums Awards. This annual recognition honors alums of service year programs, including AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and YouthBuild, for their achievements during their service year and beyond. 

This year’s awards theme - A year of service. A lifetime of impact. - highlights the many ways alums embrace their service year experience to develop new skills, build connections, and pursue new career or post-service volunteer pathways. 

“Service years are a platform for lifelong personal growth and professional success,” said Kristen Bennett, CEO of Service Year Alliance. “Each awardee exemplifies the many ways a year - or more - of service can provide a launch pad to a new profession, academic interest, or long-term volunteer role. Their commitment to strengthening communities and addressing our nation’s toughest challenges make them powerful role models for all Americans.”

Service Year Alliance released the following statement today in response to the U.S District Court’s temporary block on AmeriCorps’ cancellation of grants and early discharge of corps members.

WASHINGTON, DC (June 5, 2025) - Earlier today, a federal judge ordered the restoration of funds to AmeriCorps programs impacted by recent grant terminations. This decision applies only to plaintiffs in the case: 24 states and Washington, DC*. The injunction also calls for dismissed AmeriCorps NCCC members to return to service.

This is a significant result that corrects the immediate and devastating effects of the arbitrary decisions that led to this lawsuit. AmeriCorps is good for America and consistently delivers a triple-bottom line of value to our country: service years transform lives, strengthen our communities, and bring our citizens together in ways that fuel civic renewal.

The nonprofit, nonpartisan Service Year Alliance released the following statement today in response to the dismissal of AmeriCorps staff and termination of nearly $400 million in AmeriCorps grants.

WASHINGTON, DC (April 26, 2025) - This past week, additional steps were taken at the direction of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to dismantle AmeriCorps and defund the service programs that care for our communities and put Americans to work.

On Thursday, a significant number of staff began receiving notifications that their employment will be terminated, effective June 24. This layoff followed a decision last week to place most of the agency’s staff on paid, administrative leave. Taken together, the agency - as it is currently resourced - cannot deliver on its commitments as the federal agency for national service and volunteerism and primary sponsor of service years.

Additionally, on Friday evening, close to $400 million in grants were rescinded from AmeriCorps grantees. This funding enabled more than 1,000 nonprofit organizations and civic institutions nationwide to host AmeriCorps members and Seniors volunteers. Without this funding, nearly 33,000 corps members and Seniors volunteers could be affected.

The nonprofit, nonpartisan Service Year Alliance released the following statement today in response to AmeriCorps NCCC Member Demobilization and Federal Staff Reductions:

WASHINGTON, DC (April 17, 2025) - Dismantling AmeriCorps, the federal agency responsible for national service and volunteerism, puts Americans out of work, hurts Americans in need of the critical assistance that service years provide, and fractures the already fragile lines of connection that bridge our divides.

More than 200,000 Americans serve through AmeriCorps State and National programs, AmeriCorps VISTA, AmeriCorps NCCC, and AmeriCorps Seniors each year. The decisions to demobilize with AmeriCorps NCCC, including FEMA Corps, and to put nearly all staff at AmeriCorps agency headquarters on paid administrative leave, unfairly punishes corps members for their desire to help their neighbors and serve our country. Nine-in-ten corps members join AmeriCorps to help solve a community need or challenge. More than six-in-ten say they join to fulfill their duty as citizens of our country.

This action comes while AmeriCorps members are on the front lines of some of the most pressing challenges facing our country. At this moment, AmeriCorps members are actively serving communities nationwide, delivering relief to towns and cities impacted by natural disasters, working in food pantries and shelters for survivors of domestic abuse, helping students succeed in the classroom, providing essential care to our veterans and military families, and more.

Service Year Alliance released the following statement in response to the demobilization of AmeriCorps NCCC: 

“Service Year Alliance is actively monitoring the latest news being reported about the AmeriCorps agency, and the demobilization of members associated with AmeriCorps NCCC, a program that for more than 30 years has brought together young adults to deliver frontline service to communities across the country. 

“National service, which is largely administered through AmeriCorps, is a strategic investment in America’s future. Year after year, AmeriCorps is one of the best investments our country makes in terms of dollar-for-dollar value generated and taxpayer savings, in addition to the life-changing experience service provides to those who serve. 

“We are committed to understanding the full nature of these actions, and to working with federal, state and local leaders and champions of national service to preserve this vital opportunity for current and future generations of Americans.”