AmeriCorps' Disaster Services: Helping Build Resilience for Our Communities and Neighbors

AmeriCorps' Disaster Services Help Our Nation Recover 

The Atlantic hurricane season is ramping up and AmeriCorps members are in communities across the country right now helping them prepare for disasters. When disasters strike from hurricanes, forest fires, floods, or tornadoes, AmeriCorps members will be in communities responding to disasters, and members will still be there while they are recovering from disasters. AmeriCorps members have provided critical support to millions of Americans affected by natural and man-made disasters since 1994. As we near the end of our year-long 30th anniversary commemoration, we continue our work to understand how AmeriCorps disaster services impact communities. This work is a crucial tool for enhancing our resilience to disasters by supplying the evidence for building the systems to protect communities. Our evidence shows that AmeriCorps’ investment in environmental stewardship models and programs provides a powerful return-on-investment. And recent work looking at AmeriCorps climate change approaches and models highlight learnings from grantees and members involved in environmental stewardship, climate change, and disaster services efforts. AmeriCorps knows how to get things done for America, and our continued learnings will enhance the impact of AmeriCorps moving into our next 30 years and beyond. 

In service,
Mary Hyde, Ph.D., Director,
Office of Research and Evaluation

State of the Evidence: AmeriCorps Shared Impact in Communities Across the Country

The state of the evidence on the AmeriCorps impact in communities is strong. Evidence shows AmeriCorps programs can help communities effectively summit new heights and create value for those communities. Watch this video to learn about how AmeriCorps programs help partners and communities achieve their goals. 

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AmeriCorps NCCC: Strengthening Communities and Developing Leaders Through Service

AmeriCorps NCCC works to strengthen communities and develop leaders through direct, team-based national service. Communities’ overall well-being and resilience see lasting positive impacts from the work of AmeriCorps NCCC. Watch this video to learn more about some of the ways communities experience short- and long-term positive impacts from the work of AmeriCorps NCCC teams. 

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Research Grantee Spotlight: American University

Since President Biden signed an executive order to tackle the climate crisis at home and abroad, federal agencies have worked to integrate climate adaptation, resilience, and mitigation into their work. This project will develop research strategies to observe, strengthen, and learn from all types of expanding work related to climate change at AmeriCorps. Once a framework to conceptualize these activities are developed, the project will begin to conduct research following them.

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Evidence and Impact Webinar Series Recording Available: AmeriCorps and Workforce Development 

Check out the recording and presentation materials from this webinar that explored the evidence on how National Service contributes to workforce readiness. This final webinar in our 2023-2024 30th Anniversary series, "Celebrating Service and Its Evidence Story," showcased what AmeriCorps has learned from workforce specific research, practitioner and program models, and the assessment of ten years of participant data. 

View the Recording

Check out all recordings from our 30th Anniversary Webinar Series here.

Evidence Exchange Highlights

Visit the Evidence Exchange