Press Release: Serve Wisconsin Announces $12.8 Million in AmeriCorps Funding for Wisconsin

[Madison, WI] - Serve Wisconsin proudly announces that Wisconsin received $12.8 million in grant funding from AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and community volunteerism, to support 29 AmeriCorps programs and planning grants across the state.

"This funding will put 875 AmeriCorps members on the ground at over 200 service sites throughout the state to help make a difference and improve the lives of people across Wisconsin," said Jeanne Duffy, Executive Director of Serve Wisconsin.  

"As AmeriCorps celebrates the 30th anniversary of its first members serving across the nation and here in Wisconsin, we look forward to our new AmeriCorps members continuing and expanding the service legacy of those that have served before them. They will build upon the previous service of over 31,000 Wisconsin AmeriCorps members, whose combined efforts amount to an astonishing 47 million service hours and have undeniably and positively shaped the lives of Wisconsin's citizens," Duffy continued. "Throughout their service, these new AmeriCorps members will help tackle some of our toughest problems by addressing the achievement gap and educational challenges, public health and healthcare access, opioid and substance abuse, economic opportunity and housing availability, conservation and environmental sustainability, and other concerns impacting communities across the state."

Governor Evers described the impact AmeriCorps members and programs have in Wisconsin when addressing over 200 AmeriCorps members in May at the Governor's Service Awards when he stated that "the success of our state has always relied on the service and sacrifice of individuals and organizations like yourselves. AmeriCorps has served Wisconsinites well over the past three decades, and for that, we are very grateful. As AmeriCorps members, you truly embody what we mean in Wisconsin when we say that we value helping our fellow neighbors."

2024-2025 Wisconsin AmeriCorps programs

The funding will support the following 24 AmeriCorps programs:

Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee - ClubCorps  96 AmeriCorps members will provide youth with in-school or afterschool academic enrichment, early literacy instruction, college preparation and career readiness programming, arts programming, social-emotional instruction, community service programming, and afterschool sports programming at local Boys and Girls Clubs and environmental education activities at Camp Whitcomb-Mason. 

College Possible Wisconsin  44 AmeriCorps members will provide intensive coaching and support to low-income high school and college students to make college admission and success possible. AmeriCorps members serve high school students from 13 high schools in Milwaukee, one high school in Racine, and one high school in Stevens Point. After high school graduation, AmeriCorps members continue supporting program participants through college graduation, no matter which school they attend.

Dane County Department of Human Services - Partners for After School Success   21 AmeriCorps members will be placed in predominately low-income or resource-scarce communities to enhance the academic achievement and school engagement of middle and high school youth through positive relationships, academic coaching and tutoring, extended learning programs, and volunteer service.

Easterseals Wisconsin  25 AmeriCorps members will provide intensive personal care and lead or facilitate therapeutic recreation activities for individuals with disabilities and their families at Camp Wawbeek and Respite Camp. AmeriCorps members also provide therapeutic recreation activities at Veteran Family Camps for veterans and their families.

Green Bay Conservation Corps  31 AmeriCorps members will complete conservation projects and engage the public in educational programming and volunteer service. Members will address areas such as habitat restoration and preservation, trail maintenance and expansion, invasive species removal, and native plant establishment, community garden upkeep, and access improvements in Green Bay’s parks and other outdoor spaces.

LibraryCorps  20 AmeriCorps members will increase K-12 student access to library resources and literacy-based activities by teaching Information and Technology Literacy based lessons at schools during the day and providing afterschool programming and support at Milwaukee Public Library branches. In the summer, they provide summer outreach reading programs.

Marquette University - 414 Fellows  27 AmeriCorps members will engage children ages birth to three in one-on-one language-building activities to increase school readiness through gains in language skills. 

Marshfield Clinic Health System AmeriCorps – Community Corps  80 AmeriCorps members will be placed in nonprofits and public health organizations across the state to increase their capacity to address local health needs.

Marshfield Clinic Health System AmeriCorps - Recovery Corps 30 AmeriCorps members will be trained as recovery coaches to help people recover from opioid and other substance addictions and provide community education about substance use disorders and recovery resources.

Milwaukee Christian Center, Inc. - YouthBuild  22 AmeriCorps members will impact their community by constructing affordable, energy-efficient housing and accessible home modifications while gaining job and leadership skills, improving their education, and developing their community through service.

Milwaukee Justice Center – MJC AmeriCorps  31 AmeriCorps members will provide information and assistance to the public accessing the Milwaukee County Courthouse by providing information and helping individuals navigate the processes of filing documents at the courthouse.

Public Allies Wisconsin  36 AmeriCorps members will work to enhance and expand the capacity of nonprofit organizations to deliver critical direct services to Wisconsin residents, primarily in Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha.

Racine Zoo AmeriCorps Program  15 AmeriCorps members will provide environmental education programming to elementary, middle school, and high school students to reinforce the grade-level science curriculum through inquiry and research activities, environmental presentations, and programming for participating classes at the zoo.

Teach For America Milwaukee  20 AmeriCorps members lead classrooms across the City of Milwaukee while growing and strengthening the movement for educational equality and excellence.

United Way Fox Cities – Be Well Fox Valley  14 AmeriCorps members will provide capacity-building services to improve health and well-being and address social determinants of health at nonprofit organizations and public agencies throughout Calumet, Outagamie, Winnebago, and neighboring Wisconsin counties.

United Way of Dane County - Achievement Connections  15 AmeriCorps members will tutor high school students in math and leverage additional volunteers to provide tutoring to increase the number of students who pass Algebra by 10th grade.

United Way of Dane County - Schools of Hope AmeriCorps Project  16 AmeriCorps members will serve as literacy tutors and tutor coordinators in high-need elementary schools, working with staff to increase students' literacy skills in kindergarten through 5th grade.

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire - ECLIPSE  36 AmeriCorps members will provide one-on-one interventions to 3-5-year-old children at risk and/or from low-income families to help them grow in language, literacy, social interaction, and initiative skills.

University of Wisconsin System - Wisconsin 4-H Expanding Access  45 AmeriCorps members will be placed throughout the state in partnership with county-based youth development professionals to design and implement community-based, highly effective, and evidenced-based youth development programming to assist youth in underrepresented and underserved communities.

Western Dairyland EOC, Inc. - Chippewa Fresh Start  15 AmeriCorps members will construct new homes for income-eligible families in the local community while working on achieving high school diplomas/HSEDs, developing career goals, improving self-esteem, and alleviating barriers to economic self-sufficiency.

Wisconsin Association for Homeless and Runaway Services  17 AmeriCorps members will meet the immediate needs of youth experiencing homelessness in their community by connecting them with supportive services, shelter, and basic needs. Activities include outreach, shelter support, crisis management, and response to community referrals.

Wisconsin Association of Free and Charitable Clinics  34 AmeriCorps members will help build capacity and support Free and Charitable Clinics and Community Health Departments throughout Wisconsin. Through this program, members increase access to healthcare services for low-income and uninsured patients by creating new resources, programs, and opportunities in their communities.

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Farm to School  18 AmeriCorps members will build healthy communities by improving child nutrition through educational farm to school activities for students and families, connecting schools with local farmers and food businesses, and increasing the capacity of communities to support sustainable programs to encourage healthy behaviors and improve the school food environment.

Wisconsin Math Corps  57 AmeriCorps members will provide math tutoring to kindergarten through 8th grade students to help them build their math skills to become algebra-ready by the end of 8th grade.

WisCorps  109 AmeriCorps members will complete high-priority conservation projects across Wisconsin and facilitate environmental education programming. Conservation crew members will improve public land, manage habitats, build or maintain trails, plant trees, and complete other projects. Additional WisCorps members will engage students and the public in environmental education and support conservation efforts at Wisconsin nonprofit organizations.

Future Programs

The following organizations received a grant to develop a new program or expand an existing program, which are expected to begin in the Fall of 2025. 

Ascendium Education Solutions - Lawyers for Learners  AmeriCorps members will support the Lawyers for Learners program across the state, which provides free legal assistance to Wisconsin students, by providing in-person education and outreach at schools and workforce training collaborators, organizing clinics and trainings, providing assistance to attorneys, and helping people use legal technology tools that non-attorneys can utilize.

City of Green Bay  AmeriCorps members will engage the public and city staff in efforts on weatherization, security assessments, community and civic engagement, beautification, community-led art projects, and other efforts and conduct volunteer trainings to support these initiatives as part of a new Green Bay Community Corps program.

Improve Your Tomorrow  AmeriCorps members will serve as College Access Mentors, providing academic support and mentorship to young men of color in grades 7-12 along their path to high school graduation and entry into college.

Marquette University  AmeriCorps members will be placed in local nonprofits to create, expand, and strengthen systems and processes to help nonprofit organizations serve the people of the greater Milwaukee area. 

Operation Fresh Start  AmeriCorps members will complete conservation projects in Dane County that will improve public land, manage habitats, build or maintain trails, plant trees, and complete other projects with a focus on members receiving training for future employment in green industry trades.

The unique model for AmeriCorps means the Wisconsin AmeriCorps programs will leverage an additional $8.47 million from the private sector, foundations, and other sources - further increasing the return on the federal investment for Wisconsin communities. 

AmeriCorps members make a critical difference through their service by educating students for the 21st century workforce, supporting veterans and military families, completing conservation projects, tackling the opioid epidemic, promoting economic opportunity in our communities, helping people to live healthier lives, and making their local communities stronger. Additionally, they have played a critical role in helping communities throughout the United States recover from flooding, hurricanes, wildfires, and other national disasters.

Every year, roughly 75,000 AmeriCorps members serve across the country at thousands of nonprofit, community, and faith-based organizations. Since 1994, AmeriCorps members have provided more than 1.8 billion hours of service and earned nearly $4 billion in education awards to pay for college or pay back student loans. Included within those numbers are the more than 31,000 Wisconsin residents who have served approximately 47 million hours and earned education awards totaling more than $120.6 million. Additionally, Wisconsin higher education institutions and applicable organizations have received more than $268.7 million in education award payments since 1994. Those interested in serving can learn more at AmeriCorps.gov/join.

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Serve Wisconsin works with AmeriCorps programs throughout the state of Wisconsin to address human, educational, environmental, public safety and homeland security needs. AmeriCorps members are given the opportunity to enrich the lives of the people and communities they serve and their own lives through professional and personal development. Serve Wisconsin is governed by 21-member citizen body appointed by Governor Evers. For more information visit https://servewisconsin.wi.gov.

AmeriCorps, a federal agency, brings people together to tackle the country's most pressing challenges through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities. AmeriCorps helps make service to others a cornerstone of our national culture. Learn more at https://americorps.gov/.