[Madison, WI] – Serve Wisconsin proudly announces that Wisconsin received $14.8 million in grant funding from AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and community volunteerism, to support 27 programs across the state.
“This funding will put 936 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 prepares to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its creation this September, we look forward to these 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 46 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.”
2023-2024 Wisconsin AmeriCorps programs
The funding will support the following 27 AmeriCorps programs:
Boys and Girls Clubs of Dane County 16 AmeriCorps members will support youth through multiple efforts including volunteer engagement programming, college and career readiness programming to increase high school and college persistence, and enrollment and supporting of youth participants in organizational programming.
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 Milwaukee 44 AmeriCorps members will provide intensive coaching and support to low-income high school and college students in order to make college admission and success possible. AmeriCorps members serve high school students from 13 high schools in Milwaukee and 1 high school in Stevens Point with plans to expand programming to Racine County in the near future. After high school graduation, AmeriCorps members continue providing support to program participants through college graduation, no matter which school they attend.
Dane County Department of Human Services – Partners for After School Success 36 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 for veterans and their family members at Veteran Family Camps.
Green Bay Conservation Corps 23 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 the City’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 after-school 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 0-3 in one-on-one language-building activities to increase school readiness through gains in language skills.
Marshfield Clinic 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 AmeriCorps – Recovery Corps 30 AmeriCorps members will be trained as recovery coaches to help people recover from opioid and other substance addiction and provide community education about substance use disorders and recovery resources.
Milwaukee Christian Center, Inc. – YouthBuild 23 AmeriCorps members will make a tangible impact on their community through the construction of 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 28 AmeriCorps members will provide information and assistance to members of the public accessing the Milwaukee County Courthouse by providing information and helping individuals navigate the processes of filing documents at the courthouse.
North Central Community Action Program 59 AmeriCorps members will serve elementary, middle school, high school and adult learners at local schools and nonprofit organizations. They provide direct services to youth and their families as mentors and tutors during and after school, while building up their own professional and human services skills and capacities.
Public Allies Wisconsin 60 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.
Renewal Unlimited, Inc. Fresh Start Program 25 AmeriCorps members will construct two single-family homes to be sold to low-income and moderate-income families. While working on the houses, they develop educational, pre-employment, job, independent living and leadership skills.
Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers 13 AmeriCorps members will expand the delivery of medical, behavioral, environmental health, and social services programming to individuals from low-income families and to areas with limited access to healthcare. AmeriCorps members serve as health resource navigators and enhance educational programming for women’s health, obesity, chronic illness, inclusive care for the elderly, and other medical needs.
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 non-profit 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 where they work with staff to increase students’ literacy skills in kindergarten through fifth grade.
UW-Eau Claire – ECLIPSE 45 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 the areas of language, literacy, social interaction, and initiative skills.
University of Wisconsin System – Wisconsin 4-H Expanding Access 39 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 17 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 25 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 to 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.
WisCorps 93 AmeriCorps members will complete high priority conservation projects across the state of 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.
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 through several other projects to make their local communities stronger. Additionally, they have played a critical role helping communities throughout the United States recover from flooding, hurricanes, wildfires, and other national disasters.
Every year, 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 have served approximately 46 million hours and earned education awards totaling more than $119.2 million. Additionally, Wisconsin higher education institutions and applicable organizations have received more than $266 million in education award payments since 1994. Those interested in serving can learn more at AmeriCorps.gov/join.
