In 1993, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) was established to connect Americans of all ages and backgrounds with opportunities to give back to their communities and their nation. It merged the work and staffs of two predecessor agencies, ACTION and the Commission on National and Community Service. At its inception, CNCS was directed to manage three main programs: Senior Corps (Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions, and RSVP), AmeriCorps (State and National, NCCC, and VISTA), and Learn and Serve America (no longer funded as of 2011).
In 2020, CNCS was rebranded as simply, AmeriCorps -- encompassing all National Service programs noted above. The program structure was reorganized to include two overarching brands -- AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors. See National Service Architecture Infographic.
Today, AmeriCorps engages individuals of all ages and backgrounds as AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors members and volunteers. Members commit their time to address critical community needs in AmeriCorps' six priority or focus areas.
The priority areas are:
- Disaster Services
- Economic Opportunity
- Education
- Environmental Stewardship
- Healthy Futures
- Veterans and Military Families
AmeriCorps is an important part of our nation's commitment to building a culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility. See a glimpse of how national service evolved: https://www.nationalservice.gov/about/who-we-are/national-service-timeline.
